Fertilizing Houseplants is a vast and somewhat confusing topic for many houseplant enthusiasts We break down the basics in this simple guide

In general it’s best to avoid fertilizing your houseplants when they are not in an active growth cycle For most climates, fertilize every 3-4 weeks during spring, summer, and early fall

Some fertilizers come in liquid form and are often diluted with water These fertilizers can be given to the plants when you are doing a regular watering

Other fertilizers can come in granular form and just need to be sprinkled on top of the soil

You can over fertilize your plants, which will cause buildup of salt and minerals in the soil This will dehydrate the roots, causing the plant to slowly die

If you fear your plant has been over fertilized, scoop out all visible fertilizer and flush the soil with room temperature distilled water Make sure the bottom of the pot is open to drain all the water fully

Some wonderful natural fertilizers include dirty fish tank water, egg shells, bananas, and old coffee grounds

You can also make your own fertilizer We are sharing our two favorite homemade fertilizer recipes in the following slides

Here is a simple homemade houseplant fertilizer recipe using natural ingredients (1) tablespoon epsom salt (1) tablespoon baking powder (1) tablespoon powdered eggshells 1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well 2. Sprinkle the mixture onto the soil of your houseplants 3. Water your plants as you normally would

This recipe contains ammonia which provides nitrogen that is essential for plant growth and encourages lush green foliage (1) tsp baking soda (1) tsp epsom salts (1/2) tsp pure ammonia (1) gallon distilled water 1. Mix the baking soda and epsom salts in a large container, add ammonia and water 2. Mix well 3. Transfer the fertilizer solution to a watering can or spray bottle. 4. Use the fertilizer to water your houseplants as needed

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