Curious about how to best care for your indoor plants this Spring?

This is the time of year that you’ll want to give them more water, care, and nutrients to reach their full jungle-home potential. Their internal clocks are set to spring into action, so after a slow-growing winter, this is the time that our plant friends amp up their growing potential.

Are you ready for springtime as a plant parent? Here’s a list of things you can do to prepare:

1. Fertilize

Spring is the best time to start fertilizing your plants again. This is when they wake up from their wintery slumber and begin a new season of growth.

It’s important to fertilize your container plants because, unlike plants growing in the ground, house plants are confined to their pots. They can’t stretch their roots to find nutrients around them from rainfall and other natural factors, so you need to be sure to provide what your plants need with a feeding regime.

Depending on your climate and latitude, you’ll probably want to start fertilizing your houseplants around the end of March. If you do start feeding before the prime growing season (when you can see new springtime growth) only add half the recommended amount of fertilizer. After a plant works its way through all the nutrients in its original pot of soil, it needs your help to get more.

As they begin to grow faster, you can fertilize every two or three weeks, depending on the type of plant and how fast they’re growing (and following the instructions on the label).

Using organic fertilizer ensures that your plants are only getting the safest, most ecosystem-supporting supplements, and using an organic plant food will actually help build up essential soil micronutrients, too.

2. Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning isn’t just for those grimy corners behind the fridge. Houseplants love a good tidying-up, too! Cleaning, dusting, and freshening your plants doesn’t just make them look more lovely, it also helps prevent disease and pests, and allows them to photosynthesize to their full potential. Turn up some tunes and use these tips to give you green friends a spring spruce-up:

• Pick up any dead leaves and blooms from the soil, where they might begin rotting and attract gnats and mold.
• For some plants, you can mist leaves with water and wipe gently with a dust cloth. Some plants don’t like this—like cacti, succulents, and other moisture-sensitive friends—so be sure to research your plant’s needs.
• Gently sweep away textured leaves with a paintbrush or soft toothbrush.
• Spray cacti and other intricate plants with compressed air to clear dust.
• Shower hardy plants in a sink or bathtub. Be sure to let them drain completely!

Spring is an excellent time for a haircut. Not just for you—plant friends need trims, too! Pruning plants helps them use their growing energy better and makes room for new growth.

Use a sharp cutting utensil like pruning shears (or more delicate garden scissors for smaller plants), not craft scissors, which can do more damage than good. And make sure to clean those tools between using on each plant, so as not to spread fungus or pests!

4. Know Your Plants’ Needs

Different varieties of houseplants will need an array of light conditions, watering schedules, and fertilizing frequency. Most of you savvy plant parents know this by now!

It doesn’t have to be too complex, but make sure you look into the type of care your plants need. Just like some plants need more or less sunlight, some need unique types of fertilizer (especially flowering plants with big blooms). Some are super sensitive to heat and direct sunlight, so they may be glad to relocate to a bookshelf rather than the windowsill for the sunny months. They may drop a few leaves as they acclimate to their new location, so don’t fret if you see your plants going through a little transition upon relocation!

Each of your plants has its own special, funky personality! That’s what makes keeping a house full of plants so delightful.

Just like you, spring infuses your plants with a burst of energy. You might be breaking out the sunglasses and planning hikes, and your plants enjoy the changing weather, too. Make sure you’re ready to give them their best life by getting them springtime ready.

Spring has sprung and your houseplants are ready for their close-ups!