Giving your plants a Spring clean!

The warmer days, longer sun hours brings a sudden pep in our step and for some strange reason we turn to de-cluttering. Which your plant collection can do with having too! 

A good sort out of your plants can enhance the growing season ahead but also can help with your peace of mind if you've been feeling overwhelmed with plant care.

1. Dusting your plants

One of the most important, and can be argued as the most tedious but relaxing, tasks is to dust your plants. This task shouldn't be left just for spring and should be done throughout the year. Leaves that are covered in dust will prevent the plant from photosynthesising - which is vital for a plant to live!! Pests can also hide within the dust too, so grab a damp cloth and give your plant a clean. Or if you want the easy method, then get them under a shower head or a garden hose and spray them down.

Before

After

2. Remove debris

Taking away dead leaves that are resting on the surfaces of pots, removing old plant stems where the leaves have fallen off is a great habit to start to get into. Removing these will help discourage fungas gnats living in your plants as well as other problematic pests that could be lurking in these untouched areas.

3. Pruning & Propping

If you have moss poles or plants that are growing just a tad too much, now it is a perfect time to give them a chop & prop. With the warmer weather plants can recover easier compared to the chilly winter time. This doesn't mean you can't do this within winter, just that your plants may take a little longer to recover.

When taking a cutting, locate the node of the plant and cut below this node - be sure to give that node some space too and not just immediately below it. Allow your cutting to callus over the cut before placing it into soil, water, or other propagation medium.

4. Downsizing/ decluttering

It may be time to part ways with plants that have been sitting in your collection without much of your love or attention. We all have had plants we once loved but now regret buying, parting with these plants will help ease stress of plant care. There may also be plants that you have been desperately trying to nurse back to health, but are fighting an ever losing battle. This is your sign to say it's okay to let go of these plants and invest your time into something new and exciting.