Fertilize indoor plants: when and how often?

Not only the plants outside, also our indoor plants need extra nutrients. We show how and with what to best fertilize houseplants.

Every plant, whether garden or houseplant, needs nutrients to survive. If there is an insufficient supply of nutrients, deficiency symptoms can occur and the susceptibility to diseases increases significantly. So that your indoor plants thrive and grow splendidly, you should support them with regular fertilizer applications. Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are the nutrients that the plant needs the most. Of course, we cannot provide you with general instructions for all plants, but we will show you what you need to consider when fertilizing houseplants in general. In the following, we explain in more detail when and how often you should fertilize your indoor plants. We also give you tips on what to look out for when choosing fertilizer and how best to proceed when fertilizing indoor plants.

When and how often should houseplants be fertilized?

There is no general answer to when and how often indoor plants are fertilized. Basically, one would have to differentiate more strongly here, since the group of houseplants is very diverse. Basically, however, the following applies: Since the nutrients in the substrate are eventually used up, they must be replaced from time to time in pot cultivation. Delicate and slow-growing specimens, such as certain cacti (cactacea), need only occasional fertilizers. Most other indoor plants, on the other hand, should be fertilized regularly during the growing season.

Should you fertilize indoor plants in winter? However, indoor plants should only be fertilized during the vegetation period, because the plants need a break in the cold season. Only specimens that bloom in winter, such as the Christmas star (Euphorbia pulcherrima), you should provide fertilizer during this time.

Houseplant fertilizer: what is the best fertilizer?

Of course, you should not overdo it with the fertilization, because otherwise the plant can even die in the worst case. Less is therefore often more. It is better to supply your indoor plants with fertilizer more often, but in smaller doses. There are many different types of fertilizers available to feed your pets. Various liquid fertilizers, powders, granules or so-called fertilizer sticks offered. Most often, the composition of fertilizers is suitable not only for one plant, but for several. When using such preparations, it is best to follow the application recommendations and instructions on the packaging.

Fertilizer requirements vary greatly depending on the plant species. Therefore, find out as much as possible in advance about the requirements of the individual plants. In general, the rule applies:
Houseplants, which adorn themselves with many large leaves and grow strongly, need more nitrogen than plants that form many flowers and fruits and therefore more phosphorus need. Sufficient potassium is particularly important for root formation and the resistance of indoor plants.
But fertilizer is not just fertilizer. We explain below what is important when choosing the right fertilizer.

tip: Proper watering is also essential for healthy indoor plants. You will therefore also find information on the correct one with us Watering indoor plants.

Provide houseplants organically with organic fertilizers

Because of their sustainability, but also because of the demonstrably positive influence on plant growth and safe application, organic fertilizers are preferable to mineral alternatives. These include, for example, natural fertilizers such as compost or manure, which are often used in the garden. In the house or apartment, however, you will tend to use products from specialist retailers.

Organic liquid fertilizer for indoor plants

liquid fertilizer have the advantage that they can easily be added directly to the substrate with the irrigation water. With mineral liquid fertilizers, the nutrients are present as soluble salts that are directly available to plants. However, this carries the risk of over-fertilization if the correct dosage is not selected.
Due to the high organic content in our biological liquid fertilizers, however, not all nutrients are released at once and the plant is supplied over a longer period of time. For example, a good choice for indoor plants is ours Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertilizer, which is suitable for many plants in the home. The essential nutrients nitrogen and potassium ensure green leaves and strong roots. Our biological liquid fertilizer is based, among other things, on leftovers from the food industry, which makes it a particularly sustainable and environmentally friendly fertilizer. It also contains microorganisms that support root growth.

If indoor plants not only impress with their foliage, but also produce numerous or large flowers, you should use a special flowering plant fertilizer. Flowering plant fertilizers have a different nutrient composition than green plant fertilizers and in this way support the flowering of your plants. For flowering houseplants our 100% organic is suitable, for example Plantura organic flower & balcony fertilizer, which optimally supplies the plant with nutrients. Since it consists of purely natural ingredients, it is particularly gentle on the environment and also harmless to pets.

Important: The amount of liquid fertilizer needed depends on the plant. Some species need new nutrients more often than others and therefore need to be fertilized more frequently. The growth rate also provides information about the nutrient requirements. Fast-growing plants need more fertilizer than slow-growing plants. Basically, it is better to fertilize regularly and in a lower concentration than rarely in large quantities, because too much nutrients can damage the plant. Therefore, before fertilizing, it is essential to find out about the nutrient requirements of your plant and follow the instructions given on the liquid fertilizer when dosing.

Organic long-term fertilizer for indoor plants

In addition to liquid fertilizers, there are also organic fertilizers in solid form. Such organic slow-release fertilizers supply your plant with nutrients over a much longer period of time than many conventional mineral fertilizers. The nutrients are released through decomposition via microorganisms and are therefore available to the plant in the long term. For example, ours provides a sustainable long-term fertilizer Plantura organic universal fertilizer represent. It consists to a large extent of purely plant-based, organic ingredients and is suitable Due to its composition, it is ideal for indoor plants that require nitrogen-rich fertilization to prefer. Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer in granular form is also easy to dose and easy to use. Biological fertilizers also support the formation of humus in the soil, which has a positive effect on the water balance. Here we have summarized the most important advantages of fixed biological fertilization for you:

• Particularly gentle on plants, animals and people, since no chemicals are used
• Good for soil life and soil structure
• Supports the formation of humus and thus improves the soil quality in the long term
• Natural long-term effect
• No risk of over-fertilization

To ensure that you provide your houseplants with the right amount of nutrients, we have prepared precise fertilization instructions for you. Depending on the type of houseplant, it may of course be necessary to adjust the amount of fertilizer to the requirements of the plant. It is best to approach this carefully and gradually increase the amount of fertilizer and the number of fertilizer applications.

Organic long-term fertilization: Instructions & dosage amounts for indoor plants

1. When planting: work about 3 - 5 g/l pot volume (about 1 teaspoon) of our Plantura Organic universal fertilizer into the substrate.
2. Then water the substrate.
3. About every three months you can work another 2 - 5 g/l pot volume (about 1 teaspoon) of the fertilizer into the upper layers of the substrate.

Tip: Our fertilizer granules can also be soaked in water for a few hours and then applied with a watering can become - thus the nutrients for microorganisms are a little more easily accessible and the effect sets in earlier a.

Fertilize indoor plants with home remedies

If you don't want to resort to commercial fertilizers, you might even find what you are looking for in your own household. Also one Fertilization with coffee grounds, eggshells and wood ash suitable for some indoor plants.

Dried coffee grounds can easily be incorporated into the top layers of soil. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and is slightly acidic. You can do the opposite with crushed eggshells. These are rich in lime and other minerals. They are therefore particularly suitable for fertilizing plants that prefer soil with a higher pH value. If you own a stove, you can also use wood ash as fertilizer. However, this is highly alkaline and is therefore not suitable for all indoor plants. It is very rich in potassium, but also contains calcium and trace elements. Ash also helps to counteract fungal diseases and rot.

Fertilize houseplants with minerals: blue grain and Co.

Mineral fertilizers are often used because they usually contain high concentrations of nutrients. Some plants – such as orchids (Orchidaceae) or succulents – but can be quickly over-fertilized with it, as they only have a low nutrient requirement. In addition, mineral fertilizers are anything but environmentally friendly in production. When using organic fertilizers, however, the risk of over-fertilization is significant less, since it decomposes slowly and only gradually makes the nutrients available to the plant will.

In most cases, the care of houseplants also includes regular repotting. We have everything you need to know about Houseplant Repotting compiled for you.