WHEN spring brings that first burst of enthusiasm for getting outside and tackling the garden, it's easy to forget your indoor plants. After a winter with the heating on and a probable lack of watering, your plants will almost certainly look a bit tired and shabby - I know mine certainly do. However, if you take a few moments to give them a thorough spring cleaning, they'll take on a fresh lease of life.
On a sunny day, your plants will appreciate a bit of sunshine and fresh air just as much as you do, so take them outside, which will also mean you won't make a mess indoors.
To begin the spring tune-up, You'll need a bag of indoor plant compost and a selection of clean flowerpots. Use a pair of sharp, clean secateurs to trim off any dead leaves, damaged twigs, and shape the plant, removing any straggly bits . Gently pull the plant out of the pot by the main stem and tease out the used compost from between the roots and from the top of the root ball. If the root ball is just a white mesh, and some roots are poking out of the drainage holes, it's time to move up to the next size of pot.
For effective drainage, cover the base of the new pot with crocks (broken fragments of terracotta flower pots) or some large pebbles, then add a thinnish layer of compost. Place the plant in and fill round the sides with more compost, tamping it down firmly with your hands - you don't need any of those special tools for this and it's easier to judge how firm the compost is by using your hands. You don't want to ram it so tight water can't get through, but neither do you want it so loose that holes will develop when it's watered. There should be enough room to add a fresh layer of compost on top of the root ball and still leave an inch or so below the rim to allow watering.
For big pots, too large to tip upside down, lower them gently onto one side and proceed as above. If they are really huge and just moving them is a two-person task, then top-dressing is the answer. Gently scrape as much compost as you can from the top of the pot, and replace it with a layer of fresh compost. Remember to incorporate a good liquid plant food into the weekly watering routine after a month or so. A large plant is a major investment and will repay looking after.
After re-potting, give your plants a wash. With small to medium plants wrap the pot in a plastic bag and tie a bit of string round the top of the bag against the stem. Then tip the plant to an angle of 45 degrees or so and hose it with a fine spray, or use a watering can with a rose attachment.
For larger pots, cover the top layer of soil as best you can to prevent the water washing away the fresh compost. Swathe the top of the pot with plastic and weigh it down with pebbles, then gently wash all the winter's dust off the leaves. Leave your plants outside till the drips have stopped, but not all night as the drop in temperature is still quite steep when the sun goes down.
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