Warmer weather isn’t just an excuse to put your puffer jackets and boots away; it also signals the start of the growing season! Keep reading for all our tips and tricks on how to spring your houseplants back to life and maximize their growth potential as we leave the winter season behind.

Adjust the Basics 

Light exposure and temperature are bound to shift as we move into spring, so adjust the positioning of your plants accordingly. Lowlight plants will need to be moved away from windows. As the air gets warmer, you’ll probably need to water everything more frequently. Some plants, such as Fiddle Leaf Figs, benefit from routine quarter-turns to maintain their full growth habit.

Spring Clean Those Leaves

Just like us, plants don’t look great if their pores get clogged. Make sure to clean any dust that may have gathered on the leaves so that the stomata (plant pores, often on the undersides of the leaves) are clear to absorb water vapour and carbon dioxide. Use a clean, damp cloth when doing this, and go gently – your plants deserve some pampering.

While you’re sprucing things up, you can also prune off any lackluster leaves or drooping branches that winter left behind. This helps the plant focus its energy on growing fresh, green shoots.

Refresh and Repot

Most houseplants need to be repotted every year or so, depending on how quickly they grow. If you’ve noticed that one of your plants has roots coming out the bottom, require more water than they used to, or the growth seems a bit stunted, or perhaps older leaves may start to yellow at their margins, it may be time for a larger pot. A good rule of thumb is to go up one pot size, or an inch larger in diameter in depth. 

Nutrition Needs a Hand

Another great way to refresh your plants this spring is to use a little fertilizer. It helps increase the soil's nutrients and encourages the growth of fresh leaves and blooms.

Indoor plants often have bulky, lush foliage. Thus, they require lots of micronutrients to thrive. Kelp products are exceptionally rich in these easily-accessible nutrients. Orgunique is a good product fortified with Canadian kelp.

Many houseplants need a little help acclimatizing to the changing seasons. The stress of environmental changes demands secondary nutrients. Liquid fish fertilizer is a concentrate that incorporates Magnesium and Sulphur, which are important for a plant's resilience against plant pathogens and environmental pressures. Westcoast brand has a great 1-litre fish emulsion. 

Operation Rejuvenation

To recap: hydrate, stay out of the sun, up those nutrients and prune off the dead bits.

Sometimes plant advice is just good life advice too …