Spring houseplant care starts with a close look at every plant, followed by a brighter position introduced gradually, more frequent watering and the first feeds of the year, with repotting for plants that have outgrown their pots. The work begins in early spring, when longer days set houseplants growing again. Plants that come out of winter stretched, overwatered or with brown leaf tips need treatment matched to the cause.
Spring houseplant care at a glance:
- Start with a check of both sides of the leaves, the compost and the roots, so that marks, mould and pests are caught early.
- Move plants into more light gradually, over one to two weeks, because spring sun can scorch leaves that spent the winter in weak light.
- Water and feed as growth picks up: water when the top couple of centimetres of compost feel dry, start feeding at half strength once new growth appears, and wait about six weeks after repotting.
- Repot only plants that need it, in early spring, into a pot 2.5–5 cm wider with drainage holes, and top-dress plants that are too large to move.
Why do houseplants look tired after winter?
Winter gives houseplants too little light, and that shortage slows most of them down until they are doing little more than surviving. Central heating adds dry air on top of the low light. By the end of the heating season many plants have pale, weak leaves, thin stems and little new growth, and those that stretched towards the window over the winter often look lanky. Winter-flowering plants are the exception: the Christmas cactus flowers from late November to late January, and the poinsettia also blooms in the darkest months. How to get plants through the cold months is covered in our guide to houseplant care in winter.
How do you check houseplants after winter?
Start with a close look at each plant: both sides of the leaves, the stems, the surface of the compost and, where you can, the roots. Lifting the plant out of its pot is the most reliable way to see whether the roots are crowded. Healthy roots are pale and firm, while brown, soft roots point to too much water or poor drainage. Other warning signs include spots and deposits on the leaves, mould on the compost, small dark flies running over it or circling the pot, and fine pale mottling or webbing on the leaves, which suggests spider mites.
Where should houseplants go in spring?
Plants that like sun can move closer to the window in spring, because longer days and stronger light set them growing. Do it gradually, over one to two weeks: spring sun is much stronger than winter light, and a plant that has spent months in weak light can scorch. Pale patches or crisp leaf edges mean the change has been too quick, so move the plant a little further back. Shade lovers such as pothos, philodendrons, peace lilies and ferns burn easily in sudden bright sun and should stay out of direct rays.
Plants that spent the winter right against the glass need the opposite treatment. As the sun gets stronger, light coming through a window can scorch sensitive leaves, so move them a short way back into the room. A quarter turn of the pot at each watering stops a plant leaning towards the window. Any abrupt change in light can make some leaves turn yellow and fall, which is another reason to make every move in stages.
How often should you water houseplants in spring?
There is no fixed spring schedule: water when the top couple of centimetres of compost feel dry, and check with a finger pushed in up to the first joint before each watering. Plants need more water as the light improves and growth speeds up, and large plants and those in warm, sunny spots dry out fastest.
When you water from the top, keep going until water runs out of the drainage holes, then empty the saucer once it stops dripping, because roots left standing in water are starved of air. Watering from below suits plants with hairy leaves, such as African violets, which rot and mark easily when their leaves get wet: stand the pot in a tray of water for about half an hour, then pour away what is left. Use water at room temperature. Tap water left to stand in an open container for 24 hours loses its chlorine, while cold water straight from the tap can chill sensitive plants and leave pale spots or rings on African violet leaves. Overwatering is the main cause of death in potted plants.
When should you start feeding houseplants in spring?
Start feeding when the days lengthen and the plant shows new growth, usually in March or April, at the start of a growing season that runs until October. A balanced houseplant fertiliser at half strength every two to four weeks is a good start, because too much feed too early causes weak growth and a build-up of salts in the compost. Plants resting in a cool room through the winter get no feed at all, and those still growing in a warm, bright spot need only a little, since in poor light they can use very little fertiliser.
A plant repotted into fresh compost can wait about six weeks for its first feed, because most potting composts supply only starter nutrients. This applies to compost without an added slow-release fertiliser.
Liquid feed acts quickly and is given regularly. The dilution on the label is the upper limit: never mix a stronger solution and never feed compost that is dry, because both can burn the roots. Overfeeding shows as brown leaf tips and edges, wilting and slower growth, and in severe cases it kills the plant. Running plenty of clear water through the pot flushes out some of the excess salts. Slow-release granules are worked into the top layer of compost and watered in, and one or two applications cover a season. Foliage plants do best on a high-nitrogen feed, while flowering plants need a high-potash feed, richer in potassium and phosphorus.
When and how should you repot houseplants?
Early spring, as new growth starts, is the best time to repot, because the plant has the whole growing season to settle. Autumn and winter are poor choices: growth slows or stops, and fresh compost can stay wet for too long. Fast-growing plants usually need a new pot every year and slow growers every two to three years. Large plants need moving up only when the root ball has filled the pot, and in the springs in between, the top 5 cm of old compost is scraped away and replaced with fresh compost mixed with a slow-release fertiliser.
A plant has outgrown its pot when roots grow out of the drainage holes or circle the root ball, when the compost dries out so quickly that the plant wilts soon after watering, when growth has stalled, and when the compost has compacted, sometimes with algae on the surface. A large plant in a small pot also tips over easily.
The new pot should be only 2.5–5 cm wider than the old one and must have drainage holes. In a much larger pot the extra compost stays wet for a long time, the roots run short of air and start to rot, and the plant struggles. A decorative pot without holes works only as an outer cover: plant into an ordinary pot, stand it inside and empty any water that collects after watering. Unglazed terracotta is porous and dries out faster than plastic, which makes it a good choice for cacti and succulents, while plastic suits plants that like to stay moist.
Choose compost to suit the plant. A peat-free houseplant compost works for most species, cacti and succulents need a gritty, free-draining mix, and ready-made mixes are sold for orchids and African violets. Garden soil does not belong in indoor pots, because it can bring disease and pests with it. Where a plant needs sharper drainage, mix in grit, sharp sand or perlite. Over the years compost breaks down and compacts, which cuts the air supply to the roots and encourages disease.
Water the plant the day before repotting. Ease it out of the old pot, gently tease apart any roots circling the root ball and trim off soft, rotten ones. Set the plant so that the top of the root ball sits about 2 cm below the rim, fill around it with fresh compost and press it in lightly, without packing it down. Finish by watering thoroughly, until water runs out of the drainage holes, so the compost settles.
How should you prune and propagate houseplants in spring?
Early spring suits light pruning. Cut out dead leaves, stems and faded flowers with sharp, clean scissors or secateurs rather than pulling them off by hand. Removing dead material helps prevent rot and deters pests and disease. Cut leggy, bare stems back to just above a leaf node: many plants, dracaenas among them, then produce new shoots just below the cut. Wear gloves, because the sap of some houseplants, including peace lilies and poinsettias, irritates the skin.
An odd yellow or brown leaf low down on an older plant is normal ageing. When many leaves turn yellow at once, look for the cause in watering, light or temperature. Leaves with dark spots ringed in yellow should come off promptly, because they may have fungal leaf spot. Diseased plants and the compost they grew in do not go on the compost heap, and their pots need washing and disinfecting before they are used again.
Clump-forming plants such as peace lilies and snake plants can be divided when you repot them. Take the plant out of its pot, shake off as much compost as you can and pull or cut the root ball apart, so that each piece has plenty of roots and several strong shoots. Plants with rhizomes are cut through with a sharp knife or secateurs. Pot each division up separately and keep them in bright light out of direct sun.
Hibiscus, dracaenas, monsteras and aglaonemas are propagated from tip or stem cuttings. A tip cutting is usually 7.5–15 cm long with at least two nodes, because a cutting without a node will not make new growth and eventually rots. Strip the leaves from the lower half and stand the cutting in water, changed whenever it turns cloudy, or in moist perlite or vermiculite, in a warm, bright place out of direct sun. Roots usually appear within two to five weeks, and the cutting is ready for compost once it has healthy roots and starts to grow.
How do you clean houseplant leaves after winter?
Dust that settles on leaves over the winter blocks light and clogs their pores, so spring is a good time to clean it off. Large, smooth leaves, such as those of rubber plants and monsteras, are wiped with a soft, damp cloth. Plants with many narrow or small leaves, palms among them, can go in the shower under a gentle stream of lukewarm water, with the pot wrapped in a plastic bag so the compost does not get soaked. Hairy leaves, such as those of African violets, are cleaned with a soft brush or a cotton bud. Cacti are dusted with a soft paintbrush, and smooth succulents wiped with a damp cloth.
Dry the leaves after washing, particularly those with deep grooves that hold water, because foliage left wet into a cool night is prone to fungal leaf spots. Wipe dust off whenever you see it, and skip leaf-shine products: they clog the pores, and aerosols can leave spots on the foliage.
How can you revive houseplants after winter?
Deal with the cause. Give a stretched plant more light, let the compost of an overwatered plant dry out, and for brown leaf tips check the watering, move the plant away from radiators and raise the humidity.
Long, floppy stems with widely spaced leaves are the result of too little light. In short winter days plants stretch and drop leaves, and variegated varieties kept in poor light lose their pattern. Move such a plant gradually into a brighter spot and cut the stretched stems back above a node so that new shoots can form.
Yellowing leaves that drop, or a plant that collapses, often mean overwatering. Roots in constantly wet compost are starved of oxygen and rot, and a plant that wilts while its compost is wet usually has damaged roots. Let the compost dry before watering again, never leave water standing in the saucer and check the roots for rot.
Brown, dry leaf tips usually come from too little water or from air that is too dry, and a radiator nearby makes them worse. To raise the humidity around a plant, stand the pot on a tray of pebbles or clay granules with water kept just below their tops, so the pot itself never sits in water.
Which pests attack houseplants in spring?
The pests to watch for in spring are spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects, aphids and fungus gnats. Mealybugs look like blobs of white cotton wool on leaves and stems, and scale insects like small, light brown limpets on the stems and the undersides of the leaves. Spider mites are usually a problem from March to October, and the warm, dry air of a heated home favours them. Look over the leaves and stems each time you water and deal with any pest as soon as you see it.
Spider mites are up to 1 mm long, yellowish-green with two darker markings in spring and summer and orange-red mainly in autumn and winter. They feed on the undersides of leaves, leaving fine pale mottling on the upper surface, and in heavy attacks the leaves lose most of their colour, dry up and fall, and fine webbing appears. Damage builds quickly in warm, dry conditions. Scheffleras, dracaenas, palms and ivy are frequent targets. Spraying the foliage with water and keeping the air humid lower the risk but will not control the mites on their own, and a heavily infested plant is better thrown away. The predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis is available as a biological control.
Fungus gnats are dark greyish-brown flies, 3–4 mm long, that run over the compost or fly slowly around the pot. The adults do not harm plants. Their larvae feed mainly on dead roots and decaying matter in the compost and can damage seedlings and soft cuttings, while established plants are unlikely to suffer. Letting the compost dry out between waterings reduces their numbers, repotting into fresh compost removes eggs and larvae, and yellow sticky traps catch the adults.
If non-chemical methods are not enough, use only a pesticide approved for amateur, home-garden use, and apply it exactly as the label says. Professional products should never be used by untrained gardeners. Keep pesticides in their original containers, out of reach of children and pets, and never pour leftovers down a drain or sink.
Does cinnamon help houseplants?
Ground cinnamon is sometimes dusted on cut rhizomes after dividing a plant, in the hope that it will disinfect the wound. JoAnne Skelly, an emeritus extension educator at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, points out that plants do not heal wounds: they seal off the damaged tissue, a process called compartmentalisation. In her assessment, research showing that cinnamon slows the growth of fungi and bacteria concerns mainly cinnamon oils and extracts, while claims for the powdered spice, whether on a wound or on the compost, rest largely on anecdote. Anyone who wants to try it, she advises, should sprinkle it on the compost rather than the leaves, which it can burn, and avoid breathing it in, because it irritates the nose and lungs.
Spring houseplant care – frequently asked questions
Can houseplants go two weeks without water?
In cool weather, with the room kept above the plants’ minimum temperature, many houseplants can go a week or two without water. As the weather warms up, compost dries out faster, so before going away group the plants together and cover them with polythene, or stand the pots on a tray of wet capillary matting.
Can misting replace watering?
No. Misting does not get water to the roots and raises humidity only a little. African violets and other plants with hairy leaves should not be misted, because water marks the leaves and encourages mould, and cacti and succulents do not need misting either.
How do you start watering cacti after winter?
During a cool winter rest, from about November to early March, a cactus gets only enough water to stop it shrivelling. Once it starts growing in spring, water it thoroughly whenever the surface of the compost feels dry and never leave it standing in water. From about April to September it can be fed once a month with a potassium-rich feed such as tomato feed.
Why does a weeping fig drop leaves after being moved?
The weeping fig reacts to sudden changes in light and temperature by shedding leaves, especially when it moves from a bright spot to a dimmer one. Cold draughts and both too much and too little water have the same effect. Moving it in stages, so that it can adjust, keeps leaf drop to a minimum.
A growing collection of plants is often a reason to rethink a room after winter and find new, roomier spots for the pots. When that means a new layout for the whole room, it is worth bringing in a specialist. Find architects, interior designers and interior photographers in the PLNDesign directory.
See also:
- Peace lily care: light, watering, feeding and common problems
- Boston fern care: light, water, humidity and common problems
