When do I fertilise my houseplant?

Houseplants obviously need nutrition to develop properly. Now you may be thinking, why do plants need nutrition? Surely the nutrition is in the potting soil? That's right, but after a while, the nutrition is out of the potting soil and not every houseplant has the right and/or all the nutrition in this potting soil. This is exactly why you should fertilise your houseplant every now and then. It is by no means necessary for all plants to be fertilised, yet even the strongest plants love to be fertilised once in a while!

When to fertilise

It is important to fertilise houseplants at the right time. If you do not do this, there is a good chance that the fertiliser will not add any value or will even damage the plant's health. The best time to fertilise your houseplant is during the growth period, which is from March to October. If you have just bought a new green pearl, we do not recommend fertilising the houseplant during the first two months. The plant needs these months to get used to it and there is often still enough nutrition in the potting soil.
We strongly advise against fertilising houseplants during the winter period, as the houseplant does not grow as fast during this period and often cannot absorb the fertiliser properly. Fertilising in winter can even lead to damage to the houseplant.

Damage when fertilising

If you over-fertilise or fertilise your houseplant at the wrong time, there is a high risk of damage. Fertilising houseplants is not natural and some varieties contain chemicals. These chemicals are often acidic and damage the roots considerably. Organic fertiliser can also be very harmful when over-fertilised. When the roots are affected, the houseplant may become weak, and the root damage may even be so bad that the roots burn. When this is the case, the houseplant is often beyond saving. The houseplant will go limp and its leaves will turn a pale colour.

Types of fertiliser

There are many different types of fertiliser but it can be divided into three different categories, namely: mineral fertilisers, organic fertilisers and the combination of these.

Mineral fertilisers are better known as artificial fertilisers but artificial fertilisers also contain different types of natural rocks.
Organic fertilisers, are the most popular fertiliser type. These contain fertilisers extracted from organic products such as, chicken manure and cow dung. Organic fertilisers are the same as organic fertilisers.
Combination, this is basically the best of both worlds and therefore very popular. Natural manure is supplemented with minerals making it very effective.