Houseplant Fertilizer Basics

 How and when to feed houseplants

Being a home plant parent can confuse business! Unlike human babies, houseplants do not cry when they are hungry or embarrassed. Instead, they respond to their environment in different, more subtle ways. Knowing when it is time to feed houseplants can be challenging, even for long-term houseplant growers. Today, I would like to review the basic nuances of houseplant fertilizer and give you tips on how and when to feed your houseplants.

When to feed houseplants

Houseplants wither when they need water. When there is not enough sunlight the leaves grow pale and thin. When the humidity is very low, they become brittle; When it is high, they can develop rot. But, it is very tricky to know when your houseplants should be fertilized. There is no clear signal from your plant, "Hey, it's time to feed me!" So, instead of waiting for a signal from the plant, you should take things into your own hands and apply home plant fertilizers on the table based on their growing cycle.

Houseplants have slightly different requirements for each particular houseplant when it comes to fertilizer quantity and frequency, but there is no need to complicate this process too much. Yes, you can study each species of houseplant you care for by determining its specific nutritional needs, but the truth is that the majority of common houseplants have fertilizer requirements, and treating them, in the same way, is enough to meet their nutritional needs. Some houseplants are heavier feeders than others, which is true. However, a houseplant fertilizer table, such as the one below, provides a good balance, both of which satisfy heavier feeds and prevent overgrowth with houseplants that require less fertilizer.

Here is the best fertilizer table for the most common houseplants. It is based on the cycle of the growing season, which affects houseplants in the same way as outdoor plants, even if the temperature is very constant.

Best Houseplant Fertilizer Table

In a little while, I will discuss the various household plant fertilizers mentioned here and how to use them, but here you will find out when to use them.

Spring Houseplant Fertilizer Table:

Start fertilizing houseplants about 8 weeks before the last expected spring frost. For example, in Pennsylvania, where I live, the risk of spring frosts usually passes by May 15th. This means I start fertilizing my houseplants in mid-March. When the days start to get significantly longer and the houseplants change from a semi-dormant state to a period of active growth.

The first three fertilizers should be made at half the recommended strength. If it is a granular product, use half the amount recommended on the label. If it is a liquid household vegetable fertilizer, mix it with half-strength (a bit more of these two types of fertilizer). It feeds the houseplants when they are ready for active growth and they do not need more nutrients to stimulate fertile growth.

Summer Houseplant Fertilization Schedule:

 When summer comes, it is time to switch to a regular houseplant fertilizer program.

Based on the frequency of summer fertilizer applications based on the fertilizer you use.

Liquid fertilizers are often applied, for example, weekly or monthly.

Granular products are used less frequently, perhaps every month or once every two months.

 Slow-release houseplant fertilizers break down slowly and release their nutrients in small amounts over a long period of time. One use of most of these products lasts for three to four months.

Follow this schedule whether or not you move your houseplants outdoors in the summer. Regardless of the uniform temperature of the home environment or the ups and downs of sitting in the patio or terrace, houseplants are in a state of active growth when the summer light is high.

Autumn Plant Fertilization Schedule:

About 8 weeks before your first expected frost, reduce the amount and frequency of your home plant fertilizer. In my house, starting in mid-August, I halved the amount of fertilizer and the time between fertilizing for about 3-4 applications

I start to stretch, which usually takes me to the time when winter comes.

Winter Houseplant Fertilization Schedule:

Nothing. Houseplants are not in a state of active growth during the winter, so do not fertilize. Doing so can lead to fertilizer burns and brown leaf tips

Phosphorus (the middle number in the container) is essential for flowering. Houseplant fertilizers for flowering plants should contain high levels of phosphorus (e.g. 1-3-1). Used in evergreen houseplants that do not normally produce flowers should be slightly higher in nitrogen. They may also have a balanced ratio of nutrients (e.g. 5-3-3 or 5-5-5). I usually use a houseplant fertilizer for my flowering houseplants and a separate fertilizer for non-flowering varieties. This is not necessary if you do not grow flowering houseplants such as African violets, begonias, or gloxinia.

Many, but not all, fertilizers also contain micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and boron, as well as secondary macronutrients such as calcium and magnesium. These nutrients are used in smaller quantities than the primary macronutrients N, P, and K, but they are essential for the metabolic pathway of each plant. You need to make sure that your home plant fertilizer contains small amounts of these nutrients.

Ingredients in household plant fertilizers

The best home plant fertilizers are made from natural sources of these macro and micronutrients that are not made from chemicals synthesized in a laboratory. Although those blue, water-soluble fertilizers are generally recommended, they are not the most environmentally friendly source of nutrients for your plants, nor do they contain any micronutrients. Instead, switch to liquid or granular houseplants made from natural ingredients to feed your houseplants.

Types of home plant fertilizers

Now that you know when to fertilize houseplants and what nutrients should be in houseplant plant fertilizers, it is time to look at the different types of houseplant fertilizers to determine what is right for you.

Liquid household plant fertilizers

They should be used more often than granular fertilizer, but organic liquid home plant fertilizers are unique to me. Grow! Liquid fertilizers also reduce the risk of fertilizer burning. Another benefit of using liquid fertilizers made from natural ingredients is that they not only provide nutrients to a house plant, they also enhance growth. They are rich in dozens of micronutrients, trace elements, vitamins, amino acids, and plant hormones, each of which plays an important role in the health and dosage of your houseplants.

Organic liquid household vegetable fertilizers are made from liquid kelp, fish broth, compost tea, worm tea, liquid bone meal, rock phosphate, plant juices, and humic acids.

Granular plant fertilizers

Granular fertilizers for houseplants are found in one of two formulas: loose, granular particles or compressed compost "spikes". Particle fertilizers containing particulate matter for houseplants such as Organic Plant Magic and P-1 are sprayed on the soil surface. Compressed fertilizer "spikes", such as Jobs Organic and Earthbots, are pushed down into the soil to make close contact with plant roots.

Fine granules and compressed granular house plant fertilizers are made from naturally derived materials. These include dehydrated worm molds, bone meal, blood feed, potash sulfate, lime, rock phosphate, and other animal, mineral- and plant-based products. Synthetic chemical-based granular fertilizers are available for houseplants, however, I avoid them. Quickly checking the ingredient list on the label will tell you what the compost is made from. If you do not see a list of any ingredients, it is a synthetic fertilizer.

Slowly releasing household plant fertilizers

Also known as time-released fertilizers, slow-release household vegetable fertilizers are made from synthetic sources of nutrients. Liquid nutrients are attached to a coating. This coating breaks down slowly and releases low levels of nutrients over a long period of time. Products like these make you compost less often. It is very convenient, but be aware that they are not made from eco-friendly materials.

Summarize houseplant fertilizers

As you can see, fertilizing houseplants does not have to be complicated. Use the right products and use them according to the seasonal schedule so your home plant family will be happy and healthy.