Spring Plant Health Care Tips
Spring is fast approaching here in Massachusetts. The sun is finally shining, and the birds are now singing melodiously in the morning hours. But as the season changes, so too do your plants’ needs.
Your garden needs some help to recover from the cold winter months, and your indoor plants need some care to regain their strength and beauty. Luckily, you can do a few things to help your plants. For instance, you can water them, prune them, fertilize them or enlist the help of arborists.
Start this Spring season with these 12 plant health care tips from Mayer Tree Service, a trusted arborist in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Let’s get started!
Tips for plant healthcare in Spring
There are several basics to cover in your landscaping when Spring hits, regardless of where you live or the types of plants you have.
Here are the top 12 plant health care tips for you:
1. Introduce More Water
Most plants will want more water in Spring and Summer because of the increased temperature and daylight hours. You should water your plants early in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler. Lukewarm, rainwater is plants’ favorite unless you live in a polluted area.
Use watering cans with long spouts to direct water all around the soil while avoiding wetting the leaves—wet leaves attract fungus. Also, water from the bottom to give your plants enough drink without soaking their foliage.
Increase the water frequency gradually to avoid overwatering. Water more frequently if your plant’s leaves start to curl. On the other hand, water your plants less regularly if the soil remains wet for several days. You may also increase your home’s humidity if you have plants that do well in higher humidity.
Tip: Add rocks on the top of the soil for the plants in full sun to help them retain moisture.
2. Pull Back on Sunlight
The chances are that your plants were as close to available light as possible during the winter months. But now that the sun is back and the days are longer, you may want to pull them back or add a sheer curtain to diffuse the excess light. This will save the plants that are affected by direct sunlight.
But how do you know if the sun is too much for your plants?
If you look from the plant’s view and see that the sun rays are hitting you, that would be considered direct sunlight. You may use overcast and obstructions to turn direct sunlight into indirect light. Rotate your plants regularly if the plant starts to stretch toward the light source.
3. Warm It Up
Remember, it’s just Spring and not summer yet. This means you’re still likely to experience cool temperatures, especially at night. And this may not be the perfect temperature for your plants.
Remember, the right temperature range allows plants to maintain their growth processes at optimum levels. Moreover, appropriate temperature affects transpiration and helps plants maintain their water content.
Many houseplants do well in temperatures ranging between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. So, keep your plants away from cool drafts sources, like open windows at night, and control your indoor humidity levels.
4. Prune
Like in every other season of the year, pruning your plants in Spring is vitally important. Removing the wilted foliage and the dead branches is vital to eliminate diseases. Pruning also allows you to assess the plants to ensure they’re in good shape.
Don’t prune your plants if the foliage looks just fine; the plants could still be absorbing nutrients from it. Remove the fallen leaves accumulated on the soil to keep pests away.
But be careful how you prune your plants. Improper pruning can result in weakened, damaged, and unhealthy plants. Use the right equipment to remove the dead foliage. You may also enlist the help of a professional arborist for better services. They’ll know what plants to remove entirely and which to prune.
5. Repot your plants
Plants usually demand repotting every 12 to 18 months. And the best time to repot the plans is in the Spring. This provides the actively growing roots enough time to grow into the newly added potting mix.
Repotting doesn’t only include putting your plant into a new container but also changing its soil and potting mix. Fresh soil will provide your plants with fresh nutrients, crucial for their growth. So, how do you go about the repotting process?
Here are a few steps to help you repot your plants safely:
Remove your plant from its planter gently
Massage the root ball
Place the plant into its new pot
Add soil and water the plant adequately
Don’t use garden soil for houseplants – this can lead to pest and disease problems. Instead, use potting soil created for potted plants.
6. Think About Fertilizer
Fertilizing is among the best ways to keep your plants happy and healthy. Yes, plants get excited too, which boosts their growth and appearance. Adding fertilizer to your plants in Spring provides them with extra nutrients, boosting their growth.
The plants in the forest have an abundance of nutrients that come naturally from the natural decaying leaves, dead wood, and living vegetation. However, the plants in our homes and yards are different. These plants ace high-stress conditions ranging from low moisture availability to lack of crucial nutrients.
Adding fertilizer to these plants boosts their nutrients and prevents diseases and insects. This increases your plant’s lifespan and its beauty. You can talk to a professional to know which fertilizer to add during Spring.
7. Get Outside
Most indoor plants do very well in outdoor conditions. Specifically, most plants will thrive outdoor when the temperatures are warm. You can enhance the appearance and health of your houseplants by moving the outside during Spring.
But you must prepare your plants a little bit if you want to put them outside. The perfect time to move them outside is when the temperature is above 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
You can also move your indoor plants to shady areas and water them more frequently during the day. Shelter the small plats from strong winds and direct sunlight during the day.
8. Get A Soil Test
Your plants’ soil is the foundation of their health. So, you should start with your plants’ soil health when looking to improve the plant’s health. Nutritious soil keeps pests and diseases away and forms the foundation for your landscape and turf plants to survive.
It’s essential to analyze the health of your soil before starting any plant health care treatment. That is, determine whether your soil is acid or alkaline. Generally, knowing your soil’s condition is key to creating a good program to follow in Spring.
You may hire a professional to test your soil.
9. Mulch Flower Beds and Gardens
Mulching provides your plants with many benefits. It promotes organic matter development, helps retain soil moisture, and prevents soil compaction. In fact, laying mulch around your spring plants is the best thing you can do to promote their health.
On the other hand, if a mulch is laid incorrectly, it can damage your plants. So, how do you apply mulch?
Lay mulch about 2-4 inches (depth) around the plant. But don’t pile the mulch against the plant’s trunk. Instead, keep it several inches away from the trunk. Also, don’t use fresh woods chips to mulch young plants – they have high acidity levels.
10. Remove Lawn Debris
I don’t know if it’s the same with you, but most people in Massachusetts tend to their lawn before the Spring arrives. And removing the debris from your yard is necessary if you want your landscape to be healthy.
A yard full of dead leaves, twigs, foliage, and branches is a perfect breeding place for mildew, mold, and insects, fungus. This promotes the spread of diseases that may kill your plants. So, remove the debris accumulating in your lawn for better conditions for your plants to grow.
11. Check Your Plants for Damage
Plants have a life cycle too. Like humans, the plants can get sick and damaged but can be treated. One sign of a damaged or sick plant is one whose leaves are leaning towards one side. An epicormic shoot may also indicate damage to your plants.
Luckily, a professional arborist should help you in ‘curing’ the plant or managing its damage. However, if the plant’s damage exceeds 50%, it may be time to remove it. The arborist will assess your plant’s condition and advise whether to remove or treat it. Most plants are treatable if the damage is less than 25%.
12. Plan Your Spring Plant Maintenance
Plants have a life and die too. Like humans, the plants can get sick and damaged but can be treated. One sign of a damaged or sick plant is one whose leaves are leaning towards one side. An epicormic shoot may also indicate damage to your plants.
Luckily, a professional arborist should help you in ‘curing’ the plant or managing its damage. However, if the plant’s damage exceeds 50%, it may be time to remove it. The arborist will assess your plant’s condition and advise whether to remove or treat it. Most plants are treatable if the damage is less than 25%.
12. Plan Your Spring Plant Maintenance
Plants have a life and die too. Like humans, the plants can get sick and damaged but can be treated. One sign of a damaged or sick plant is one whose leaves are leaning towards one side. An epicormic shoot may also indicate damage to your plants.
Luckily, a professional arborist should help you in ‘curing’ the plant or managing its damage. However, if the plant’s damage exceeds 50%, it may be time to remove it. The arborist will assess your plant’s condition and advise whether to remove or treat it. Most plants are treatable if the damage is less than 25%.
Spring Plant Health Care Tips
We can name thousands of good things that come in the Spring. Animals return, free vitamin D comes back, moods improve, fresh air comes knocking, but more importantly, flowers bloom. But the flowers don’t just bloom – it takes a lot of effort and care to prepare the plants in Spring.
Whether you want to prevent a plant’s problem, need help resolving plants’ issues, or want advice on your plant’s health, you can trust Mayer Tree Service for help. You can expect our experts to attend to you any day in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
If you have questions about tree service or plant health care or would like an estimate, give us a call at 978-768-6999 or click here to contact us.
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