Prepping for Spring: The Plant Parent's Guide

Ohhh Winter.

Halloween has come and gone, and it was cold.

Thanksgiving has been celebrated, and it was even colder.

We've been through the holidays, and guess what? It was so dang cold during all of that time, too.

If you’re anything like me, you do not so much enjoy the cold weather. I recently moved (back) to Ohio after living in the South for the last fifteen years, and I seemingly forgot how much I dislike the winters here.

Similarly, your houseplants don’t love the cold, either. They’ve most likely been lying dormant for the last few months, showing no signs of growth at all.

Okay, well that part is a little different than me… I seem to have been getting larger these last few cold months. 😂

As the sun is currently hidden behind gloomy, gray clouds, the calendar insists that it’s planning on returning soon. What better time to start preparing yourself and your plants for the upcoming Spring season than now! Your plants will soon wake up and start enjoying themselves again... just like we can soon do!

Even though Spring doesn’t technically kick off until March 20, plants start to feel the impacts of the stronger sun at the end of February. Longer days also mean more time spent with curtains open, which have a great benefit to your plant friends.

Here are some of the things you can start doing RIGHT NOW to prepare for the exciting Spring season for your houseplants!

Update Watering Schedules

Hopefully, you’ve been watering your plants less the last couple months. Our plants are in colder climates in the Winter months, and therefore aren’t absorbing as much water. They don’t require as much water when they’re in a dormant state. Now that the growing season is approaching, plants need to receive more water to allow them to grow to their full potential. A watering calendar (like this one!) can help keep you on track for which plants you’ve watered when throughout the Spring and Summer months.

Wipe Down Leaves

Dust has presumably been collecting on the leaves of your plants and should be wiped off with a wet cloth to allow the plant to receive as much sunlight as possible. Accumulated dust can actually create a barrier between your plant and the sun’s rays! There’s no need to use a chemical or crazy home remedy; a simple damp cloth will do the trick!

Shop for Larger Pots!

Who doesn’t love a reason to shop! This is a perfect time to check on the plants throughout your home and see which ones are in need of a larger pot. Check out our article on When to Repot Your Plants for helpful tricks on this process. A good rule of thumb is getting a pot slightly larger than your plant currently needs to allow space to grow, without getting too large a pot (which could have an adverse effect on your plant).

Prune Dead Leaves

Dead leaves on your plant can affect new growth. Your plant may still be committing energy to the dead part of the plant. Taking a pair of pruning scissors to the parts of your plant that have died off will help your plant focus its energy on growing new stems and leaves.

Get Your Propagation Game Ready!

Spring is by far the best time to propagate your plants. What better time than right now than to start reading up on how to propagate your beloved houseplants so that you’re knowledgeable and ready for the Spring season! Plus, propagation is a great skill to have, and will lead to your plant collection only growing larger!

There's no Better Time than Spring for Your Houseplants

And there’s no better time than the months leading up to Spring to prepare for the season! Shop The Plant Dads full catalog of plants to start adding to your collection, or explore the plants that we’ve just added to our shop.

Happy Planting!