How to fertilize your houseplants.

Don't fertilize any houseplant you have bought for at least two weeks, it has probably been regularly fed at the nursery. After the two weeks has passed, start a regular fertilizing program.

The safest fertilizers are those you mix with water and pour into the pot once or twice a month.

Why?

Any slow release fertilizer pill or spike relies on correct watering. Most houseplant owners over water their plants which transports more fertilizer from the pill or spike and could burn the roots of your houseplant.

Here are two important recommendations for fertilizing houseplants:

• Any fertilizer you buy will have mixing instructions, but these are for well established plants in perfect growing conditions. Most houseplants are kept in far from perfect conditions; use half the amount of fertilizer recommended by the instructions.
• Stir the fertilizer into the water in your watering can and water your houseplant as usual (i.e. until the water starts to run out the bottom of the pot). Stand the pot in it's saucer and wait for the excess water to drain, then empty the saucer.

  Never under any circumstance allow a house plant to stand in water that contains fertilizer as this will burn the roots and could kill your plant.

Feeding frequency

The feeding requirements for different houseplants varies and you need to do a little research to find the correct feeding program for your plant.

There are some general rules:

• Feed houseplants every two weeks during the summer months with a half strength fertilizer mix.
• Houseplants require little or no fertilizer during the winter months.
• Slow-growing plants need comparatively less fertilizer.
• Faster growing plants will need comparatively more fertilizer.
• Flowering plants usually require both more light and more fertilizer.
• Properly prepared potting composts contain enough food for about two months.

How to tell if your houseplant feeding program is wrong

Common signs of too little fertilizer:

• There is little growth during the summer months and the plant is easily infested with pests and disease.
• The leaves look pale and may have yellow spots.
• The plant stems are poorly developed and the lower leaves on the plant drop prematurely.
• Flowering plants might not develop any flowers or they are small and poorly colored.

Common signs of too much fertilizer:

• The leaves start to wilt. This is also a sign of too much watering.
• The leaves develop dry brown spots and dry brown scorched edges.
• There is little growth during the summer months.