After being cooped up indoors all winter, we all want to get out and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air—and our houseplants are no exception. K-State Research and Extension reporter Randall Kowalik has some tips for getting your plants ready for summer sun.
(Randall Kowalik)
For plants, light is “life.” Temperatures are warming up, and it’s time to take our houseplants outside for the summer. K-State Research and Extension horticulturist Emily Nolting says we need to begin with indirect light—and a bit of cleanup.
(Emily Nolting)
After they’ve been inside all winter long, we want to clean these plants because they’ve accumulated a lot of cooking oils and dust from the house, on the surface of their foliage, and they need to be cleaned so they can breathe better, and grow better.
(Randall Kowalik)
Plants grow up top, and the grow down below, too. Check the roots of your plants—if they look like this, it’s time for a bigger pot:
(Emily Nolting)
This is also a great opportunity to repot those plants that have been in the same soil for the whole year.
(Randall Kowalik)
Remove the plant from the old pot, and slice off the bottom of the root ball with a sharp knife, no more than half an inch. Then make vertical slices in the root ball, along the sides, and place the plant in its new pot. Add some potting soil, pack it gently, and it’s ready to go. After your plants have had indirect light for two or three weeks, they’ll be ready to handle more direct sunlight.