Best Practices for Waking Up Your Indoor Plants

The birds are singing their spring songs, it is light outside when we get up or drive home from work, snow is melting…Spring is on the horizon! If your indoor plants haven’t already started putting out new growth, they will very soon. Those plants in your windows are especially feeling those longer daylight hours. And the relative humidity inside should be rising to less arid levels with the heat not running as much. Just as bears, chipmunks and skunks are emerging from hibernation, our plants are coming out of their dormant period.

Fun, fun! Our plants are showing more vibrant signs of life so what do we do? Fertilize?? Not yet!! We need to think about where we want that new fertilized growth to come in. Pruning is an important step to keeping your house plants healthy and well shaped, and this is the best time of year for it to be done. Is your plant getting leggy, splayed out, too tall, hitting walls, one sided, has bare stems with leaves only at the ends? Be not afraid! Pruning is actually rejuvenating for the plants! You can cut back the majority of house plants with nothing but good results. What we say here applies to most house plants assuming that they are in decent light and have the resources to put out new growth.

Before and after pruning a janet craig

The tallest cane was cut down close to the pot, the top trimmed to about 16" long,

and inserted into the soil to root. The bare stem will start new growth just below the cut.

Plant is fuller and has more points for new growth.

On soft small stems or trailers, you can use your kitchen scissors or shears, but don’t break those scissors trying to cut branches that are too hard or big. And whatever you do, do not snap them off by hand, leaving ragged ends! Lightweight pruners can be inexpensive at your local hardware store or garden center.

Aglaonema has just begun to get leggy and will benefit from getting the tallest branch cut back. The cut stem in the third picture will probably sprout new growth at the bottom of the plant and its cutting can be inserted to root as well. The goal is to keep the plant filled in at its base and not have new growth just at its tallest which can get top heavy and floppy.

On many plants, the new growth will emerge right behind your cut so think about where you want those lovely little sprouts to be. Try to not just nip the tips of the plant’s branches or stems. Cut it back towards the center where it can fill in and the bare stem is hidden by taller growth. Hesitant? The reasons behind why may make it easier for you. Plants generate growth hormone which concentrates at the growing tip. When you prune, the hormone is released along the length of the stem and creates new sprouts.

New growth emerging from behind the pruning cut on a ficus lyrata

It is always worth a try to root the cuttings – either in water or directly into soil. Rooting powder is nice to help avoid root rot but not totally necessary. Just remove the lower leaves off the cut stem and stick right back into the pot if there is enough potting mix for it to take root. Water the cutting, and then leave alone until the “soil” is dry on top. Or you can put the cutting into water and once they have put out roots that are 2-3 inches long, pot them up. (worth another discussion later about propagation). What have you got to lose? You already should have new sprouts on the pruned rejuvenated plant. If any cuttings take root, you are ahead of the game!

Remove the lower leaves of your cutting

Stick the cutting back into the soil to generate new growth

Ok, NOW can you fertilize? Not quite yet. Check to make sure the plant is not too rootbound or has exposed roots at the top or bottom of the grow pot. Can you see roots at the top of your grow pot? Are there roots growing out the drain holes at the bottom? It does not necessarily mean you have to get a bigger pot. Often you can just add fresh sterile potting mix. Pop your plant out of the pot, trim the roots and add a bit of potting mix to the bottom. Or add some to the top if roots are showing there.

Shown here is an extreme case to demonstrate. This yucca cane is completely rootbound with roots growing both out of the top and bottom of the grow pot, which needed to be cut off in order to remove the grow pot from the root ball.

While you are checking out the root system, note whether there is any white crustiness at the top or bottom of the grow pot. Those are salts either from your water or your fertilizer and accumulations of those salts can burn the roots and cause spots or yellowed edges on the leaves. Just wipe OFF the white crust and know that the fresh potting mix will help bring the salt levels back down to a healthy ratio for your plant.

Mineral salt residue on pots and containers should be washed off,

Plants grown primarily for their greenery can put out insignificant flowers which will divert nutrition away from the plant's leaf production. These flowers can be odd looking and can be sticky with sap. If you see flowers trying to emerge, it is best for the overall health of the plant to cut them off. The flowering cycle drains energy from the plant that it would otherwise put into making new leaves.