'Spring Forward' Your Houseplants by Jen Shull (Blog)

As the days get longer, that means that things are starting to get back to growing, HOORAY!  And like me, if you have neglected your houseplants over the winter, it is time to give them a spa treatment before you get back in the garden (or before the craziness of summer ensues).  I always use the day that we “spring forward” as a reminder that I should start thinking about repotting and pampering my houseplants.  If you don’t have houseplants, check out this video to see why you should have at least one.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WRRjC54FUZU

The first step I take is looking at each houseplant, and for me, as a “collector” of houseplants, this can be quite a task.  How long has the plant been in its current pot?  Does the water run right through the pot when I water it (causing me to have to soak the plant in water)?  Does it look happy?  What is the root situation? Yes, this step can get messy!  If you take the plant out of its container and the roots are circling around, it is time to get that puppy into a new home!  My general rule of thumb is to only go 2 inches up in pot size.  So if you have a plant in an 8” pot, try to find a 10” pot to move it to.  If you are like me and have plethora of plants, this doesn’t always mean buying a new pot, (Although we do have some great colors this year!) just recycle what you have.  If you are not having trouble keeping the plant watered, the roots are not out of control, and the plant looks happy and healthy, feel free to skip it for now.  If I don’t “repot” a plant, sometimes I just freshen up the soil.

Once you determine what needs repotted and find the appropriate pot, it is time to get to work!  Spread out a trash bag in the kitchen or head to the garage (if it is warm enough, you don’t want to shock your houseplants). 

1)      Take the plant out of the pot (I try to water my plants a few days before I plan to repot).

2)      Lightly tickle the roots.  If they are really tangled, try to separate some of the dense root areas.  The gentler the better, but you may need to get a knife if the plant is REALLY root bound.  Cut out any dead roots (mushy and darker in color) and sterilize your tools with alcohol. 

3)      Be sure there is a hole in the pot you are planting in.  If I find a pot I really like with no drainage hole, I either drill a hole or find a plastic pot that will fit inside the “pretty” pot to avoid overwatering your houseplant.  OVERWATERING is the #1 cause of death of houseplants.  Seems surprising to me, but it is true.

4)      Pick the right media (aka soil).  I use just a general potting mix (not soil).   You can add a little potting soil to add organic matter to the mix, but you don’t want the media to be too heavy (otherwise you will run into a root rot problem).  For succulents and cactus I will add 1 part sand to 2 parts potting mix (there are cactus mixes out there which are perfectly fine, too).

5)      Put some of your potting mix in the bottom of the pot, set the plant in, making sure the soil level is below the rim of the new pot (otherwise you will have a mess on your hands after you water the plant in).  Take a little cup (or your hands) and put soil around the edges of the plant, gently packing down, to avoid air pockets.  Avoid burying the stem of the plant when you come to the top.

Now, you can pat yourself on the back.  You are done with the hard part.  After repotting, I always water in the plant.  I prefer to use distilled or rain water (no fluoride or chlorine, which can cause browning on the edges of some leaves).  Now comes the real “spa” part of the pampering process.  I will typically rinse off plants in the shower (if they are small enough), then allow them to sit in the shower (with the water not running directly on them).  This is the easy way to dust off plants and allow them to get the humidity that most of them enjoy.  Avoid showering succulents and cacti, along with plants will build up water in the leaves, like a Janet Craig Dracaena (if you don’t get the water out, it will rot off the leaves).   For those plants you didn’t get in the shower, make sure you give them a little love by dusting off the leaves, top and bottom.  This helps keep their stomata (breathing holes for a plant) clean.

After two weeks, I always add Osmocote (slow release fertilizer) to the soil at the recommended rate on the package, along with a houseplant systemic insecticide (I like the product from Bonide the best).  Ever since I had an outbreak of mealy bug a few years ago, I have been using the Bonide systemic insecticide and have had no insects (knock on wood)!  For more tips on keeping your houseplants happy and healthy, check out this link: http://www.culverslandscape.com/houseplants.html

Happy planting!