5 main rules of spring care for indoor plants

By the end of winter, the day noticeably increases, indoor flowers feel the imminent arrival of spring and the dormant period is replaced by active growth. In this article we will tell you about spring care for indoor plants. What should be done to help indoor flowers to be beautiful and healthy, bloom luxuriantly and delight us.

Houseplant care: lighting

Sometimes spring comes gradually, but more often it happens like this: yesterday it was cloudy and snowy, and today the bright sun is quite noticeably beaming with its rays. It is important to smooth out this transition for indoor plants and remove them from the windowsill (even light-loving ones), since the hot sun in combination with still working batteries can harm plants that only wake up after a dormant period. If possible, place them next to the window, but not on the windowsill.

Plant rejuvenation

Some plants continue to grow in winter, but due to the fact that there is not enough light, they stretch strongly, the leaves become lighter and sometimes crumble. Spring is the best time to prune and form plants. This will help give the bushes or trees a neat look, grow new juicy foliage, and in flowering specimens (geranium, pelargonium), it will stimulate more lush flowering.

An exception should be made only for plants whose flowering occurs on last year's shoots (azaleas, hydrangeas). The formation of the crowns of such plants should be done when they have faded. Some "older" plants may require rejuvenation, which is also carried out in the spring. Adult plants that have overgrown must be cut quite strongly, this stimulates the growth of young shoots. And some specimens may have to be replaced with a new young plant (for example, chlorophytum, pruning it does not rejuvenate). In spring, cuttings, babies and cuttings take root very quickly and soon turn into a beautiful plant.

Houseplant care: transplant

Of course, not every year, but sometimes the plants still have to be transplanted. The best time for this procedure is March or April. Examine your flowers and assess the situation: first you need to transplant those that did not survive the winter well. Too little light, dry air from heating systems - all this has a negative effect on the appearance of flowers. Leaves turn yellow, dry, sometimes fall off - these plants should be transplanted first. Transplanting is no less important for young plants (from one to three years old), in the spring they will begin to actively develop, build up the root system, so we transplant them into a larger pot with obligatory soil replacement.

Adult plants that tolerate wintering well should be transplanted no more than once every three years, so it is enough for them to renew the topsoil. And of course it is not necessary to transplant flowering plants, since all their efforts are directed towards flowering, and they do not adapt well during transplantation. Wait until the end of flowering and after that, if necessary, make a transplant, it's okay if this happens not in spring, but at the beginning of summer. Usually the plants are transplanted with a clod of earth so as not to injure the root system, but if you suspect that the flower has been poured and the roots have begun to rot, then when transplanting, very carefully clean them from the ground, rinse them in potassium permanganate and only then put them in a new pot with fresh soil.

At the end of winter, it is already possible to get the bulbs and tubers of flowers from the storage areas, perhaps at this time the first buds will already appear. Plant them in pots or boxes with moist soil and place them close to the light. Water abundantly, but very carefully, avoiding waterlogging, and in the near future your calla lilies, begonias and cyclamens will delight you with flowering.

Watering and fertilizing

In winter, watering is usually reduced, and with the onset of spring, it gradually begins to increase. The main thing is not to overdo it and not to ruin the root system of the plant. Do not water the flowers with too cold tap water, this is tantamount to light frost. The water should be at room temperature, both for irrigation and for spraying (for those plants that need this spraying).

If you carry out a neat sprinkling with a shower, do it also with warm water. In the spring, they begin to feed the plants, with the exception of those that you have just transplanted - fresh soil has all the necessary nutrients in abundance. When choosing fertilizers, keep in mind that nitrogen will be useful for decorative deciduous plants, it will help build up a powerful green mass. And for flowering plants, phosphorus is more suitable, and also potassium - they will ensure the formation of buds and further abundant and lush flowering.

So at home it is better to have several types of fertilizers and alternate organic and mineral fertilizers. Now they are available in various forms (loose, tablets, sticks), but the most convenient are still liquid products that are added to water when watering. This is the easiest way for plants to get nutrients.

Houseplant care: reproduction

This is perhaps the most exciting moment in floriculture. Rooting cuttings, dividing bushes, sowing seeds - all this is extremely interesting and exciting. And it is necessary to do this in the spring, since after awakening the plants take root and take root best of all. By doing spring pruning, you are harvesting cuttings at the same time. Difficult-to-rooted specimens should be placed in a solution of "Zircon" for three to four hours, then rinsed and dipped in "Kornevin" and immersed in moist soil.

The container with the handle can be covered with plastic foil, creating a greenhouse and creating the most comfortable conditions. Just do not forget about daily airing and moistening of the soil. But most houseplants grow roots in water (geraniums, begonia, various vines).

Submerge the cuttings 3-4 cm and make sure that the water level remains the same (it evaporates quickly in warmth). When transplanting adult plants, you can divide the bushes, this is also one of the breeding methods (suitable for anthurium, spathiphyllum, fern). You can also root a leaf stalk (for example, violets, Kalanchoe), parts of a leaf (begonia), air layers (chlorophytum). And of course, spring is the best time for sowing seeds, and in this way you can also grow many indoor flowers (geranium, pelargonium, gerberas and even cacti).

Spring is the beginning of a new stage of life for all living things and for indoor plants, including. Give them a little attention, adjust watering, transplant, fertilize, do all the necessary procedures. They will wake up, come to life and gratefully respond to your care with lush greenery and lush flowering.