How to Feed and Fertilize Houseplants
Just like you, plants need a regular supply of food to stay healthy. The situation doesn’t change for indoor houseplants — in fact, being restricted to a small pot makes it even more necessary that you give them supplemental nutrition. After all, their roots can’t reach through the soil to find what they need on their own.
However, giving a houseplant too much fertilizer is almost worse than skipping it altogether. An excess of nutrients can burn plant roots and scorch their leaves. That’s why it’s essential to be precise and give your plants exactly what they need without any extra.
You likely won’t need much fertilizer for the first few months after transplanting a plant in new soil. The potting mix will provide all that the plants need at first, but you’ll need to start supplementing over time.
What Kind of Fertilizer Should I Use?
The first choice is determining what kind of fertilizer to use. Indoor plant blends typically come in liquid, slow-release, and granular forms.
Liquid Fertilizer: As their name implies, liquid fertilizers come as a concentrated liquid blend of nutrients. Most must be diluted in water before use. This makes the fertilizer easy to apply evenly in the pot and reduces the risk of overfeeding. The one disadvantage is you need to apply it regularly to get the benefits.
Slow-Release Fertilizer: Most slow-release fertilizers are coated in time-release shells, which dissolve in the potting soil over several weeks while releasing nutrients. Each variety will have a different release timeframe, though most will last between four and nine months. So, while this fertilizer lets you apply it and forget all about it, it tends to cost more than other types.
When to Fertilize Your Houseplants
Time your fertilizer application for when the plant is in a growing stage. That way, it can work as fuel to power growth.
Most houseplants do best when fed every other watering session during their growing season. That usually works out to once every two weeks. Once the seasons change, you can halve that frequency to once per month. In many cases, you can skip fertilizing altogether through the fall and winter.
How to Apply Fertilizer
There’s no real secret for fertilizing houseplants, except remembering that less is more. Make sure you carefully read the instructions for your fertilizer mix so you get the correct ratio.
Give the plant a thorough watering before applying the fertilizer as directed on the package. Moist soil tends to absorb fertilizer better, and it helps ensure you won’t burn the plant roots.
Remember: It’s best to start with a diluted amount of fertilizer. If the plant responds well, you can always add more!