Spring Cleaning for Houseplants: Easy Tips for Indoor Plants

With spring in the air, take some time to give your houseplants a little sprucing up to keep them happy and healthy all year long.

Start spring cleaning for houseplants by following these easy ideas and examples.

Hi there, it’s Amanda from Life at Cloverhill. When spring comes around we start to think about cleaning up our homes and our cars, but what about sprucing up our houseplants too? They work hard all year round to brighten up our spaces and purify the air, so a little TLC can go a long way. Spring is a great time of year to replant, prune and clean houseplants as they start to come out of their dormant season. It’s also a nice way to get your hands dirty before the outdoor gardening season begins too.

Different plants have different needs, such as special soil for succulents and specific directions for replanting orchids, but for your everyday tropical houseplants, this guide will help you.

Spring Cleaning for Houseplants

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What you’ll need:

Plants to replant (Or new plants if you’ve killed them! When selecting new plants, this Guide to Caring for Easy to Grow Indoor Plants ought to be helpful for you.)
New Pots or Terra Cotta Planters
Potting Soil
Small Stones
Pruning shears or Scissors
Cleaning Cloth
Water

Houseplant Spring Cleaning #1: Sprengeri Fern

The first plant I needed to take care of was this small sprengeri fern in our upstairs washroom. When I’d first brought it home, I’d just tossed the original pot into a larger pot and it had quickly outgrown its surroundings. There were dead leaves and very long new growth that both needed to be trimmed off.

I transferred it to a new pot, by first lining the bottom with small stones for drainage, then adding new potting soil. I added some stones on the top for decoration for this pot, being sure to leave space around the base of the plant for new growth.

It already looks much perkier in its new home, and I think the new pot fits in much better with our bathroom decor. I’m hoping that with more space to grow it will become bushier.

Houseplant Spring Cleaning #2: Dwarf Banana Tree

Another plant in our home that needed some freshening up is this dwarf banana tree that I’ve had since the first summer we moved into our farmhouse. I had planted it in a Twine-Wrapped Vase I’d made with a recycling can, but the roots had outgrown this pot too. The desk it’s on is my makeup table in our upstairs washroom – an antique score from our road trip to Vermont last summer.

I had this special pot that I’ve been waiting to plant with just the right thing – and this tropical plant that’s held up to three years of neglect deserved it. It’s important to carefully dust the leaves of plants like this a few times a year. Dust and minerals can accumulate on the leaves and prevent the plant from getting enough sunlight. Take a damp washcloth and wipe the leaves down one by one, while supporting the leaves underneath using your other hand.

This new pot seems right at home on my makeup table and hopefully, this little tree will start to grow taller and fuller now that it has more space for its roots.

Houseplant Spring Cleaning #3: Pothos Plant

This pothos plant started as a clipping from my mom, and has taken on a life of its own! I’ve trimmed it so many times and have always replanted the trimmings with great success. I love this plant because they do really well in low light and can tolerate a little neglect now and then. The pot it is in is just a large terra cotta pot from the dollar store that I painted with matte navy and gold craft paint. (Read these tips to learn more about how to paint terra cotta pots.)

I gave the plant a trim by cutting the trailing branches off just below one of the “scars” on the branches. By leaving the scars on the plant, it will encourage it to produce more leaves and create a bushier full plant, rather than sending off long shoots. I planted the healthy clippings into a new pot filled with stones at the bottom and new potting soil.

It’s the perfect little plant to add beside our sink. Can you spot my little assistant in the background?

Next Steps:

The trick when you replant houseplants is to give them plenty of water to prevent drought shock after they’ve been disturbed. Also make sure to use an appropriate houseplant fertilizer on a regular basis to encourage new growth. Happy planting!

For more Spring Cleaning ideas, check out my blog Life at Cloverhill: