Seasonal Care: Spring
As the seasons change, so too do your plant needs. Indoor plants are affected by outdoor changes. In this article, we’re talking about all things spring and how you should care for your plants when the temperature warms up.
Words by The Sill
Plants 101
Next Article
As the seasons change, so too do your plant needs. Indoor plants are affected by outdoor changes. In this article, we’re talking about all things spring and how you should care for your plants when the temperature warms up.
Spring Forward
Plants love spring. It’s the start of the growing season and your plants will come alive, especially after a long winter. Kick your care routine up a notch to see some amazing nature stuff happen.
Introduce More Water
You might find yourself needing to water your plants more frequently to make up for the increase in temperature and daylight hours. The best time to water is early morning or early evening, when temperatures are cooler and water is less likely to evaporate.
To avoid overwatering, make sure to increase water frequency gradually. Check your plant regularly during this time of adjustment. If you notice wilt or leaf curl, water more frequently. If soil stays wet for two days or more, water less. For plants that thrive in higher humidity, localize humidity around them if the air in the home is too dry. If your plant is in full sun and you are watering semi-daily, you can help retain moisture better by adding rocks to top of the soil.
Pull Back On Sunlight
In the winter, your houseplants were probably as close to available light as possible. Now that the sun is stronger and days are longer, you may need to consider pulling them back or incorporating a sheer curtain to diffuse the rays. Plants that aren't suited for direct sun should only receive indirect light to avoid leaf scorch.
Not sure if the sunlight is too strong? if you look out from the plant's view and see the sun in line with your plant's "vision," then this would be considered direct sunlight. Indirect light is ambient light emitting from the plant's view of the sky without directly seeing the sun. Overcast and obstructions can turn direct sunlight areas into indirect, and indirect areas much shadier. Rotate plants weekly if they begin stretching toward the light source.
Warm Up
It’s not quite time for A/C yet. Most houseplants like it between 65-75 degrees F. Keep plants away from cool draft sources like open windows, especially at night, and consider monitoring humidity levels with a hygrometer.
Pruning
It’s called spring cleaning. Pruning lackluster or wilted foliage is great for your plant in spring and can eliminate hosts for disease. If foliage looks okay, don’t prune just yet, as your plant might still be absorbing nutrients from it and will drop it naturally on its own time. Clean off dropped leaves that have collected on top of the soil and you’ll be pest-free.
Not sure if the sunlight is too strong? Put your hand out and let the light hit it. If it’s too hot for you, chances are, it’s too hot for your plant too.
A Time to Repot
Spring is the best time to repot your houseplants. Plants typically need to be repotted every 12 to 18 months. If you do it every other spring, it’s easier to remember. Repotting does not necessarily mean putting the plant in a new planter, but rather changing its soil or potting mix. Fresh soil provides the plant with fresh nutrients.
Consider Fertilizing
Fertilizer is one of those things that tends to get overlooked but it can be beneficial in the long-term health of your plant. Fertilizer is like taking vitamins. It’s not meant to supplement or replace food; and by the way, plants do that their own via light and photosynthesis, thank you very much. Fertilizer should be used sparingly and never in fresh soil. If you’ve decided to take advantage of spring repot your plant, the new soil won’t need any added fertilizer.
Get Outside
If you want to put your houseplants outside for the approaching warmer months, you should prep them a bit. A good time to move them out is when it’s consistently above 55 degrees F at night. Keeping plants in a stable environment is always the goal.
Outdoor weather can be unpredictable. Plants tend to dry out faster especially on warmer days. Move them to a shady area and water them in the early morning and at night to avoid burning. If it’s rained for a couple of days, lay off on watering and of course, make sure your planters have drainage. Shelter smaller plants from strong winds.
Be proactive and get ready for Seasonal Care: Summer.
Get the dirt.
Sign up for our newsletter to snag 15% off your first purchase and keep growing your plant knowledge!
If you’re propagating a plant by stem or leaf cuttings, or have cuttings shipped to you, we have a few tips and tricks you can follow to ensure th...
Before bringing a new plant home, it's important to ensure that it is safe and non-toxic for our furry campions who share the same space with us. R...
Learn how to care for the Petite Knock Out® Rose!
The Petite Knock Out® Rose is an easy-to-grow shrub rose bush that can be added to your indoor ...
As begin to adjust to lower light (goodbye, daylight saving time), it’s time to bring our outdoor plants inside. To successfully transition your p...
If you’ve noticed that your plants are stretching up tall or leaning to a particular side, your plant may be craving more sunlight.
After your ne...
Learn how to care for the Silver Satin, or Scindapsus pictus!
The Silver Satin (Scindapsus pictus) is native to Southeast Asia and has the reputa...
Learn how to care for the Schlumbergera, better known as Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus or holiday cactus, a genus of cacti found in southe...
There are different types of pests out there and we’ll help you to identify which ones are in your plants and how to get rid of them.
It’s a mo...
Autumn leaves are falling, and we’re embracing sweater weather and cozy time at home. If you’re a budding plant parent or would just like to add a...
National Coffee Day is here and our minds are on our favorite cup of joe - and how we can use it to help our plants, too.
If you’re a coffee drink...
Tired of the frequent trips to your local grocery store for fresh herbs? Here’s some tips on bringing the outside in and creating an herb garden ri...
While the average tropical houseplant should be repotted about once a year in fresh potting mix, Phalaenopsis orchids are a whole different repotti...
Just as we start feeling the winter blues, our orchids start going into dormancy. When spring rolls around again, your Phalaenopsis orchid might ne...
Learn how to care for an Anthurium.
Anthuriums are flowering plants native to the Americas. They are known for their brightly colored flowers, wh...
Orchids are epiphytic in their native habitat, growing on trees and rock formations, instead of directly in the ground. The orchid family (Orchidac...
Learn how to care for the Aluminum Pilea.
The small, but fast growing Pilea cadieri originates from rainforests in Vietnam. One of over 200 specie...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Maranta.
Maranta is the type-genus of Marantaceae, and is named in honor of Bartolomeo Maranta, an Italian ...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Calathea!
Calathea is a genus of neotropical rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plants that are known for the...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Fiddle Leaf Fig!
Ficus lyrata is a species of evergreen tropical tree native to the tropical lowlands of we...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Rubber Tree!
Ficus elastica is a species of evergreen tropical tree native to southern China, Southeast Asi...
Learn how to care for the Parlor Palm!
Chamaedorea elegans, also known as the Neanthe Bella Parlor Palm, is one of our favorite true palms. Parlor ...
Learn how to care for the Monstera deliciosa and other Monstera varieties indoors!
Monstera are species of evergreen tropical vines and shrubs that...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Dino Plant!
The Dino Plant, also known as the Selaginella lepidophylla, is an ancient rosette-forming herb ...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Norfolk Island Pine!
The Norfolk Island Pine hails from Norfolk Island, a small island in the Pacific Ocean...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Oxalis!
Oxalis is the largest genus in the family Oxalidaceae and represents about 800 of the 900 species w...
Learn how to care for the Golden Pothos!
The Golden Pothos, or the Epipremnum aureum, is native to Southeast Asia. It has the reputation of being o...
Learn how to care for the Pencil Plant!
The Pencil Plant or Euphorbia Tirucalli is a succulent native to South and East Africa. The plant’s namesak...
Learn how to care for the Moon Valley Pilea!
The Moon Valley Pilea or Pilea Mollis is native to Central and South America. Its common name, Moon Va...
Learn how to care for the Majesty Palm and other palm varieties!
The Majesty Palm is a robust, tropical palm with graceful, feathery fronds that or...
Learn how to care for the ZZ Plant!
The Zamioculcas zamiifolia – or ZZ plant — is a tropical perennial native to Eastern Africa that has become pop...
Learn how to care for the Ripple Peperomia!
The Peperomia genus has over 1000 species, but only a dozen or so make for good houseplants. The Pepero...
Learn how to care for a Jade Plant!
The Crassula ovata (or Jade Plant) originates from South Africa. The word crassus in Latin means “thick”. The n...
Learn how to care for the Haworthia!
The Haworthia is a miniature succulent native to South Africa, and is one of the easiest houseplants to care f...
Learn how to care for the Heartleaf Philodendron!
The Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum) is an evergreen perennial vine, native to Tr...
Learn how to care for the Bird’s Nest Fern!
Native to tropical regions such as southeast Asia, Australia, east Africa and Hawaii to name a few, Bir...
Learn how to care for the Canela Tree, AKA the Cinnamon Plant!
The Canela Tree, also known as the cinnamon plant, is related to the culinary cinnam...
Learn how to care for the Rex Begonia!
Rex Begonias are admired for their fabulous foliage. The cultivar offers a wide range of colors, textures, a...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Peperomia!
The Peperomia genus has over 1,000 species, but only a dozen or so are suitable as houseplants. ...
Learn how to care for the Peperomia Green (or Baby Rubber Plant)!
The Peperomia Obtusifolia is a succulent-like variety of Peperomia, originally fo...
Learn how to care for the Arrowhead Plant!
The Arrowhead (Syngonium podophyllum) is native to the tropical rain forests in Central and South Americ...
A common houseplant that’s easy to grow sounds like the perfect plant, right? The ZZ Plant may very well be the perfect plant, known for its adapti...
Ferns are fabulous. They are amongst the first plants on earth to form a vascular system, allowing them to tower over mosses and grow to heights ne...
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Shakespeare knew names were important. They can tell us a lot of information about something, or som...
Not the electric kind you twist, but the ones you bury into soft, warm soil, lovingly water, and check in on (maybe a little too often), in hopes a...
Resembling the fan-favorite rubber plant, just tinier, Peperomia are plants in the peppercorn family, Piperaceae. Peperomia make great houseplants,...
Not only can indoor plants transform a room’s aesthetic, but they also have the ability to boost mood, increase creativity, lessen stress, and filt...
Unusual, gorgeous, tropical. If you’ve ever mistaken a plant for a bird, or vice versa, you may have encountered a Bird of Paradise plant. Let’s ta...
Calathea (Calathea spp. and hybrids.) is a genus of neotropical rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plants; members of which are referred to generally...
Sure, money doesn’t grow on trees, but the Coin Plant / Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides) is worth spending some time on.
Take a closer look at this amazing yet common houseplant.