If you’ve got your light and water under control well done! It’s now time to take your care to the next level. The good news? It’s not that hard. It’s just a case of checking in your plants and learning to fix issues before they become problems. 

If you have plants with larger leaves, you will notice they get dusty over time. A good wipe with water or even a Neem oil solution will help them get back to their photosynthesizing best. We would recommend doing this once every month or two. Be gentle with the leaves and leave new leaves alone – they’re too fragile to touch.  

Another key form of maintenance is removing any dead or dying leaves or branches from your houseplants. Dying leaves can be a magnet for pests or infections that can then affect the whole plant. Cut off dead leaves and any dead flowers to encourage new growth. 

As well as cutting off dead plant material, pruning your plants is also a wonderful way to encourage the size, shape and overall health of your plant. Pruning your hanging plant will encourage bushier growth, cutting back plants like Ficus or Schefflera will encourage branching and more ‘tree like’ shape etc. Far from hurting your plant, pruning actually stimulates growth hormones that will then result in more growth. 

Top dressing is when you sprinkle a layer of fresh potting mix or other nutrient rich additive like vermicompost on the soil of your plant. It is a great way to give your plants a nutrient boost as they will, over time, lose soil due to watering. If you notice your plant is sitting halfway down or more you should probably repot your plant, but if it’s only a couple of inches top dressing is a simple fix. 

Plants need food. They get some of those nutrients from the soil. But a little pot continually watered? Your plant is going to need something in the long run! We sell Vermiliquid, which is sometimes called liquid gold by gardeners. It’s a non-toxic, natural byproduct made by worms as they digest food and plant based compost and is great for use as a fertilizer. Just mix with water and water your plants as normal! You can also use a regular water -soluble fertilizer or try making your own at home using banana peels, cooled water from boiling vegetables and eggs and ground eggshells…among other methods.