Spring is nearly here and that means some of your plants might need a little spring repotting. Depending on your region, you may be tidying up for fall and winter, but for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re ready to break through winter and say hello to spring. Your plants are, too – they’ve been holding on and laying low all winter and now’s the time to perk them up and get them ready for the warmer months ahead.

Here are some spring care tips you as you prepare your indoor plants for warmer weather:

1. Check Your Pot: If you can see surface roots, it feels tight around the soil, or maybe water flushes right through the plant and out the bottom drain hole, these may all be signs that your plant is root bound. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to pick a new pot that’s no more than 2 – 3” larger than the current pot. Try our Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix.

To repot, follow the steps in our post on How to Repot an Indoor Plant.

2. Clean, Trim & Dust: Remove any old, dead, or yellowing growth. Why? It stimulates growth and helps your plants use their energy for new and healthy leaves.

To do so, grab a pair of pruning shears or sharp scissors. If they’re dirty or used for a lot of other things, give them a quick clean with rubbing alcohol before you start. Start by removing the yellowing or dead leaves by hand or using shears to cut them off. Be sure to not remove more than 20% of the plant’s foliage.

Now, have a peek at the soil and remove any dead leaves from the topsoil – this prevents any sort of mold or pests.

To finish, flush your plant with water, allowing water to run completely through the pot.

3. Fertilize: In nature plants can extend their roots to collect nutrients but in pots nutrients are exhausted quickly and fertilizer is necessary to replenish the soil and assist the plant in creating healthy, new growth. If you need some fertilizer, we love our John & Bobs Optimizer Plus fertilizer because it’s an organic, wholesome fertilizer for maximum indoor plant nutrition that won’t burn, and is kid and pet friendly.

4. Place in the Right Spot! As seasons change, so does the lighting. Be sure to look around and see what plants aren’t getting enough, or are getting too much, light for this season. Plants can sense changes in the season, dropping leaves in autumn and springing new buds in spring. Since light changes throughout the year, your morning light might not be hitting your plants anymore, or they might be getting too much light throughout the day. Take a few days to notice how the light has changed and adjust as necessary. If your plants are getting too much or too little light, they won’t grow as many nutrients as they may need.

Not sure what order to do things? We recommend repotting or trimming as needed, then fertilizing (once you’ve repotted, if you do) and then assessing the light. Happy spring!