Spring care tips for your indoor jungle
As the weather gradually warms and flowers start to bloom, your indoor jungle is also emerging from winter dormancy. Though you may have seen some growth during winter, spring is really your plant’s time to shine, so now is the perfect opportunity to get a few tasks done and encourage all that new healthy growth.
Pot it like it’s hot!
Just like a sleeping beauty, your princess is slowly waking from her winter sleep, stretching out her arms and legs and reaching for the sun. Spring is the perfect time to give her a bit of extra space to grow, allowing the roots to reach further and access more water and food, fueling the vigorous growth to come.
For those plants that like to be root bound, repotting may not be necessary. Instead, refresh the soil, add some slow release fertilizer & plant food and pop it back into the same pot.
For climbing plants, this is a great time to upgrade their plant stake to allow for the additional heights to come.
Wet your plants
It’s time to step up the watering! But be careful not to over water. The plants that you watered fortnightly over winter might now need a splash almost weekly. Best to do regular soil checks and monitor the situation. I don’t really believe in moisture meters, just stick your finger in and have a feel, because dirt makes people happy.
“You look beautiful. Really. Very beautiful. You’re making me extremely hungry.”
Feeding time
Throughout winter, you will have reduced or stopped a regular fertilizing routine (hey, it’s hard to eat when you’re asleep!) but now is the time to begin the schedule again. After adding slow release fertilizer during the repotting/refreshing, also include a weekly or monthly feed. Some Seasol or Charlie Carp will do wonders for the soil. A regular sprinkle or spritz of Munash plant food will top up much needed minerals.
Chop & prop
We all shrivel a bit in winter, with the heat blaring and lack of fresh air. In plants, this can result in drooping or yellow leaves and dry brown edges. Removing the dead matter will encourage new healthy growth, so grab the scissors, and give them a chop.
For vining plants, this is a great time to encourage bushier growth by cutting back any lengths that have growth a bit leggy, where there’s too much stem between the leaves. Any healthy stems removed can easily be propagated and returned to the pot for a fuller looking plant. Remember that new roots and growth will form from the node, so use this as a guide when trimming.
Spring cleaning
Actually, this one you really should be doing all the time, but if you’re anything like me, sometimes winter coziness really means winter laziness. As you get into some spring cleaning, make sure to also clean your plants of any build up of dust or salt residue left behind from misting. This kind of dirt can suffocate the leaves and inhibit growth, so should be a top priority and preferably done on the regular.
To clean, just wipe the leaves with a damp cloth, using your hand to support the other side. For larger, less delicate plants like Monsteras, you can also give them a good soak in the shower and let a steady stream of water do the work for you.
Redecorate
As the days get longer and the sun gets stronger, you may find you’ll need to rearrange your collection. The angle of the sun is also changing, which can sometimes mean that plants previously in indirect light are suddenly getting a full hit of rays, so you may need to shuffle the group around a little bit to avoid scorching.
