My plant has stopped growing: lack of fertiliser, or something else?

Has your plant stopped making new leaves, or are its leaves getting smaller and smaller? The reflex is to add fertiliser. Sometimes that’s the right answer, but it’s not the first thing to check. Fertiliser makes up for neither a lack of light nor a pot that’s too small. Here’s the order to follow.

1. The season

From October to February, most houseplants slow down: the days shorten and the light drops. A plant that doesn’t grow in winter is normal. Don’t feed it more: it wouldn’t use the fertiliser, which would build up in the potting soil.

2. Light

This is the most common cause. A plant too far from the window survives but doesn’t grow: its new leaves are small and its stems stretch towards the light. Move it closer to a bright window, out of the direct midday sun. See our light guide.

3. The pot and the roots

Roots coming out of the holes or circling the bottom of the pot, water running through without being absorbed: the plant has run out of room. Repot in spring into a pot 2 to 4 cm wider, with fresh potting mix such as our peat-free Signature Potting Mix. Or leave the repotting to our studio. See how to repot.

4. Exhausted or compacted potting soil

After a year or two, potting soil compacts, runs out of nutrients and fills up with limescale from the tap water. A white crust on the surface or on the pot is the sign. Replace the top layer, or repot.

5. Lack of food

If the light is good, the pot is the right size and it’s between spring and late summer, then yes, the plant is probably hungry. The signs: new leaves smaller and paler than the old ones, slow growth.

Through the roots: our compost tea root feed, diluted at 8 pumps per litre of water, every two to three weeks during the growing season. It also feeds the life in the soil, which in turn feeds the roots.
Through the leaves: our ready-to-use seaweed foliar feed, sprayed once a month as a boost.

Wait four to six weeks after repotting: fresh potting mix already contains nutrients. And never overdo the dose: a plant doesn’t grow faster with more fertiliser — it burns its roots. See also our fertiliser guide.

Frequently asked questions

How long before I see results?
After a change of light or a feed, allow three to six weeks to see new leaves, in spring.

What if the leaves are turning yellow?
That’s a different signal: see yellow leaves: what to do.

Need an opinion?

Send a photo of your plant to our Plant Doctor: the whole plant, a close-up of a leaf (top and underside) and the surface of the soil. The diagnosis is free. You can also drop by the studio at 6 Rue Zemmour, Aviation district, Rabat.

Repotting an orchid: when, how, and in what mix

The best-selling orchid, Phalaenopsis, lives in the wild clinging to trees: its roots are in the open air, drinking the rain and then drying out within hours. In a pot, the whole secret is to recreate that. That’s why it’s never repotted in potting soil.

When to repot?

Roughly every two years.
After flowering, when the plant is producing new roots or new leaves.
When the mix breaks down into crumbs, stays wet for a long time or smells musty.
When brown, soft roots appear in the pot.

Avoid repotting an orchid in full flower: it may drop its blooms.

The right potting mix

It must be coarse and airy, and dry quickly between waterings. Our ready-to-use orchid mix is made of large pieces that let air and water through and never compact. It comes in 1, 2 or 5 litres: the 1-litre bag is enough for one or two orchids in 12 cm pots.

The right pot

A pot with holes, preferably clear: you’ll see the colour of the roots, which tells you when to water, and the roots benefit from the light. The same size as the old one or barely bigger: orchids like to be a little snug.

Step by step

Prepare the mix: rinse it, soak it for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain.
Take the orchid out by squeezing the pot, and remove all the old mix from between the roots.
Sort the roots: green or silvery and firm, they’re healthy. Brown and soft, hollow, or dry as paper — cut them off with clean secateurs.
Repot: set the plant in the centre, with the base level with the rim, and slide the mix between the roots while tapping the pot, without pressing down. Aerial roots can stay outside.
Wait about a week before watering: small wounds on the roots heal.

After repotting

Water by soaking: stand the pot in water for 10 to 15 minutes, then let it drain well. Never leave water sitting in the cover pot.
Water when the roots turn silvery again, not on a fixed date.
Never let water into the heart of the plant, between the leaves: it would rot.
Bright light, no direct sun: near an east- or west-facing window, behind a sheer curtain.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use ordinary potting soil?
No: it suffocates the roots, which rot within weeks.

My orchid won’t flower again — what should I do?
Usually it needs more light, or a slight drop in night-time temperature in autumn. A light feed during the growing season also helps.

Do you repot orchids?
Yes, at the studio: see our repotting service.

Need an opinion?

Cuttings and seedlings: why perlite and vermiculite make the difference

A cutting doesn’t have roots yet: it has to grow them, in a medium that’s moist but airy. Too much water and it rots. Too dry and it shrivels. A seedling needs fine, light soil that doesn’t form a crust. In both cases, two minerals make the difference: perlite and vermiculite.

Two minerals, two roles

Perlite: small, very light white granules. It creates air in the mix and lets water drain away. It prevents rot.
Vermiculite: golden flakes that soak up water like a sponge and release it gradually. It keeps the moisture young roots need.

Together, they provide the balance you’re looking for: neither dry nor soggy. That’s what our perlite and vermiculite mix offers, ready to mix in, in 1, 2 or 5 litres. To compare them with other ingredients, see perlite, vermiculite, pozzolana, coco chips.

The right mixes

Seedlings: half perlite and vermiculite mix, half fine potting soil.
Stem cuttings: the mix on its own, well moistened, or half and half with potting soil.
Repotting houseplants: about one part mix to three or four parts potting soil, to lighten it. Our Signature Potting Mix already contains it.

Taking cuttings from a Pothos, Monstera or Philodendron

Cut a stem with at least one node — the small bump where the leaf and aerial roots start — and one or two leaves. Cut just below the node, with a clean tool.
Remove the lower leaf if it would be buried.
Fill a small pot with drainage holes with moistened mix, and push the stem in so the node is buried.
Cover with a clear bag or a cut-off bottle to keep the moisture in, airing it every day.
Place in bright light, out of direct sun, somewhere warm.
Keep the mix moist, never soggy. Roots appear within two to six weeks: slight resistance when you pull gently is the sign.

And seedlings?

Sow on the surface or barely covered with a thin layer of vermiculite, which keeps moisture in without crusting and lets through the light some seeds need to germinate. Water by misting with a fine-mist spray bottle so you don’t move the seeds.

Frequently asked questions

Cuttings in water or in a mix?
Water works well for Pothos or Philodendron, but roots grown in water adapt less well to soil afterwards. In the mix, the cutting grows soil roots from the start.

When should I feed a cutting?
Not until it has roots and new leaves. After that, a light feed of our compost tea root feed, at the usual dose.

What about cacti?
Vermiculite holds too much water for them: see cactus potting mix.

Need an opinion?

Black soap for plants: gardens, vegetable patches and balconies in Morocco

In Morocco, black soap is first and foremost the soap of the hammam. But in the garden, it’s also one of the oldest and simplest ways to keep plants clean and keep away the small insects that weaken them. Provided you use it properly: the right soap, at the right time, on the right plants.

What black soap does to a plant

Black soap works in two ways. It cleans: it removes dust, deposits and the sticky honeydew left by insects, on which sooty mould grows — the black mould that dulls leaves. And it protects: used regularly, it makes foliage less welcoming to pests, and it works on contact against the soft-bodied insects it touches, such as aphids, young mealybugs, whitefly and spider mites.

It’s neither systemic nor persistent: it only works where it’s sprayed, and only while it’s wet. That’s what makes it a gentle treatment, but it’s also why you need to aim accurately and repeat.

Hammam soap or soap for plants?

Hammam black soap is made for skin: thick, highly concentrated, often scented or enriched. Diluted by eye, it makes a solution that’s too strong or too weak, and its additives have no business on a leaf. A ready-to-use black soap prepared for plants avoids guesswork. Ours, black soap for plants, is used as it is in a 200 ml spray bottle: it suits potted plants, balconies, terraces and small vegetable gardens.

In the garden: which plants, which pests?

Roses: aphids settle on young shoots and buds in spring. Spray as soon as the first colonies appear. See our article on aphids.
Citrus in pots (lemon, orange, kumquat): mealybugs, whitefly and sooty mould are common. Clean sticky leaves and treat the undersides.
Oleander and hibiscus: aphids on young stems, scale insects along the branches.
Balcony vegetable gardens: aphids on broad beans and lettuces, whitefly on tomatoes and aubergines. Rinse vegetables before eating them.
Herbs (basil, mint): tender foliage — always test on a few leaves first.

How to use it, step by step

Shake the bottle.
Spray late in the day, never in full sun: heated droplets burn the leaves. In the evening, you also spare bees and ladybirds, which are less active.
Aim at the undersides of leaves, young shoots and leaf joints: that’s where insects hide. The soap has to touch them.
For routine care, once a month, spray and then wipe with cleaning gloves or a soft cloth.
If insects have settled in, leave it on without wiping and repeat every five to seven days for three to four weeks: eggs hatch in several waves.

Precautions

Test on a few leaves of a plant you don’t know, and wait one to two days.
Avoid hairy leaves (African violets, some sages) and plants covered in a powdery bloom.
Don’t treat a thirsty plant: water it the day before.
Don’t mix the soap with other products.
Keep the bottle out of reach of children and pets.

Prevention rather than cure

A well-fed, well-placed plant is more resistant. In spring and summer, feed potted plants with our compost tea root feed and support the foliage with our seaweed foliar feed. The Plant Care Kit brings these three care products together. Above all, look at your plants closely once a week: a pest spotted early is dealt with in two sprays.

Frequently asked questions

Does black soap kill beneficial insects?
It acts on the insects it touches, beneficial ones included. That’s why it pays to target the colonies rather than drench the whole garden, and to treat in the evening.

Can I use it on an olive tree?
Yes, against scale insects and sooty mould, on young trees and olives in pots. On a large tree, ask us for advice.

Where can I buy it in Rabat?
Our black soap is available online, with delivery across Morocco, and at the studio.

Need an opinion?

Aphids: how to recognise them and rid your plants of them

Aphids are small insects, one to three millimetres long — green, black, grey, yellow or pink — that live in colonies and suck plant sap. They’re everywhere in spring, in the garden as well as on the balcony, and they find their way indoors too. Their strength: they multiply very quickly. Their weakness: they’re soft-bodied and easy to treat if spotted early.

Recognising them

Dense colonies on young shoots, flower buds and under leaves.
Curled or distorted leaves, shoots that shrivel.
A sticky deposit on leaves and the floor: honeydew, the sugar excreted by aphids. It attracts ants and encourages sooty mould, a black mould.
Ants climbing up and down the stem: they “farm” aphids for their honeydew. Their presence is often the first clue.

Roses, hibiscus, oleanders, citrus and broad beans — and, indoors, flowering plants and tender young shoots — are their favourite targets.

Getting rid of them, step by step

Remove most of the colony: a jet of water, or your fingers protected by cleaning gloves, on the worst-affected shoots. Cut off a heavily infested shoot.
Spray ready-to-use black soap for plants on the colonies, concentrating on the undersides of leaves and young shoots. Soap works on contact: it has to touch the insects.
Treat late in the day, never in full sun.
Repeat every five to seven days for three weeks: new generations hatch constantly.
Clean off the honeydew left on the leaves with a damp cloth to prevent sooty mould.

Preventing them

Don’t overdo nitrogen fertiliser: it produces tender, sap-filled shoots that aphids love. Choose a gentle fertiliser, such as our compost tea root feed, at the right dose.
Check young shoots every week in spring.
Clean the foliage once a month with black soap: it’s the simplest preventive measure.
In the garden, let your allies do their work: ladybirds, hoverflies and tits eat aphids by the hundred.

Frequently asked questions

Do aphids kill plants?
Rarely a mature plant, but they weaken it, distort its shoots and can transmit viruses. It’s best to act at the first colony.

What about washing-up liquid?
It contains fragrances, dyes and agents that can mark leaves. A black soap prepared for plants is safer. See black soap: uses and precautions.

What should I do about the ants?
Treat the aphids: without honeydew, the ants will leave of their own accord.

Need an opinion?

Whitefly: what to do about them on your plants?

You touch the plant and a little white cloud flies up, before settling straight back under the leaves: this is whitefly. These insects, one to two millimetres long with white powdery wings, suck sap from under the leaves. They love heat, which makes them common in Morocco, in vegetable gardens as well as indoors.

Recognising them

The adults: tiny white flies that take off when you move the plant.
The larvae: small flat scales, translucent or greenish, motionless under the leaves. They’re often mistaken for spots.
Honeydew: sticky leaves that later turn black with sooty mould.
Leaves that pale and yellow in patches.

Tomatoes, aubergines, citrus, hibiscus, lantanas, poinsettias and, indoors, plants with tender leaves are their favourite targets.

Getting rid of them

Isolate the plant if it’s in a pot: the adults fly from plant to plant.
Trap the adults with yellow sticky traps, which attract them. They also show whether the infestation is receding.
Spray ready-to-use black soap for plants, mainly under the leaves: that’s where the larvae live, and the soap reaches them on contact. Treat early in the morning or late in the day, when the adults are slower.
Repeat every five to seven days for three to four weeks: the protected eggs hatch in several waves.
Remove badly affected leaves covered in larvae.

Preventing them

Check the undersides of new plants’ leaves before bringing them in.
Ventilate: whitefly like warm, stuffy air.
Clean the foliage once a month with black soap, top and underside.
Don’t overfeed: a plant fed in moderation, such as with our compost tea root feed, produces less tender tissue.

Frequently asked questions

Why do they always come back?
Because only the larvae and adults that are hit die: the eggs survive. Regular spraying is everything.

Can I treat tomatoes on the balcony?
Yes, late in the day, rinsing the fruit before eating it.

See also: sooty mould, aphids and mealybugs and scale.

Need an opinion?

Sooty mould: the black deposit on leaves, and how to remove it

Are the leaves of your lemon tree, oleander or Ficus covered in a black film, like soot, that partly rubs off under your finger? That’s sooty mould. It isn’t a disease attacking the plant from within, but fungi growing on the surface of the leaves on a sugary deposit: honeydew.

Where it comes from

Honeydew is excreted by sap-sucking insects: aphids, mealybugs and scale, whitefly. It sticks to the leaves, and the sooty mould fungi feed on it. In other words: no sooty mould without insects. Treating it without looking for the insects means seeing it come back within three weeks.

Why deal with it

The black film blocks the light: the leaf photosynthesises less, the plant weakens, and a weak plant attracts more pests. On citrus, the fruit gets dirty too. Above all, the deposit is a sign that insects have moved in.

Cleaning it and treating the cause

Find the insects: turn the leaves over, look at the stems and leaf joints. Small shells or cottony clumps: mealybugs and scale. Colonies on the shoots: aphids. A white cloud flying up: whitefly.
Spray ready-to-use black soap for plants over all the foliage. It softens the deposit and acts on contact against the insects.
Wipe the leaves with cleaning gloves or a soft damp cloth, supporting each leaf with your other hand. Sooty mould comes off without hard rubbing.
Repeat every five to seven days for three to four weeks, long enough to deal with the insects.
Rinse small plants in the shower, protecting the soil.

Stopping them coming back

Clean the foliage once a month with black soap: honeydew doesn’t have time to build up.
Watch for ants climbing tree trunks: they often signal aphids or scale insects.
Keep plants vigorous: good light, the right watering, and gentle feeding with our compost tea root feed during the growing season.

Frequently asked questions

Is sooty mould contagious?
It follows the insects: they’re the ones that move from plant to plant.

Should I cut off blackened leaves?
No: once cleaned, they do their job again. Only remove those that are damaged.

Need an opinion?

Cleaning your plants’ leaves: why, how and how often

Indoors, a fine dust settles on leaves every day. You don’t see it, then one day the foliage looks dull. This film isn’t just a question of looks: it deprives the plant of some of its light. Cleaning your plants is one of the most useful things you can do — and one of the most forgotten.

Why it matters

Light: a dusty leaf captures less light, and so photosynthesises less. Indoors, where light is already limited, that’s a real loss.
Breathing: the leaf exchanges air and water through tiny pores, which dust clogs.
Prevention: as you clean, you remove the first insects and look at every leaf up close. That’s often how a mealybug or spider mite is spotted early.

The method, step by step

Shake the bottle of ready-to-use black soap for plants.
Spray the leaf, top and underside.
Wipe with cleaning gloves or a soft cloth, supporting the leaf with your other hand so it doesn’t break. From the centre to the tip.
In the morning or late in the day, never in full sun.
Afterwards, during the growing season, spray our seaweed foliar feed: it settles better on clean foliage.

For a small plant, a lukewarm shower also does the job, with the soil covered. For hairy leaves (African violets, some Begonias), no water: use a soft, dry brush.

What to avoid

Leaf-shine sprays: they make leaves gleam, but leave a film that clogs the leaf’s pores.
Oil, milk, beer: these tricks leave a greasy or sugary residue that attracts dust and encourages mould.
Hammam soap or washing-up liquid: too concentrated or too scented for a leaf. See black soap: uses and precautions.

How often?

Usually once a month. More often near a window opening onto the street, when the chergui blows or in a dusty room. Large, smooth leaves (Monstera, Ficus, Strelitzia, Philodendron, Alocasia) benefit most.

A complete routine

The Plant Care Kit brings together the three steps of the monthly routine: clean with black soap, spray the foliar feed, and feed at the roots with compost tea during the growing season. Discover the Instant T range too.

Need an opinion?

Yellow leaves: why your plant is turning yellow, and what to do

Yellow leaves are the most common symptom in houseplants, and the most poorly treated. The reflex is to water more or add fertiliser; in most cases, that’s exactly the opposite of what’s needed. Yellowing is a signal: before acting, you need to read it.

One leaf, or several?

An old lower leaf that yellows slowly and then dries while the plant is making new leaves: that’s normal. The plant is recycling its old leaves. Remove it when it comes away on its own. However, if several leaves yellow at once, or if it’s the young leaves that are turning pale, there’s a problem to find.

The causes, from most to least common

1. Too much water

This is the number one cause. The roots sit in potting mix that no longer dries out, run short of air and start to rot; they can no longer supply the leaves, which turn yellow, often going soft. Push a finger several centimetres into the soil: if it’s damp, stop watering and empty the saucer or planter. If the soil stays soaked for several days and smells bad, you need to look at the roots.

2. Lack of light

A plant too far from the window can no longer feed all its leaves: it sacrifices the oldest, and its new shoots are small and pale. Move it closer to a window, out of the direct midday sun.

3. Lack of water

Rarer than people think. In this case, the leaves yellow and become dry and brittle, often with brown edges, and the soil is dry all the way down the pot.

4. A pot that’s too small or exhausted potting soil

Roots coming out of the holes, water running through the pot without being absorbed, a plant that has stopped growing in spring: it’s time to repot, in fresh potting mix such as our Signature Potting Mix. You can also come in for repotting at the studio.

5. Cold or a change of position

A draught, air conditioning too close, a house move: some plants, such as Ficus, react by yellowing and dropping leaves. Find them a stable spot.

6. Pests

Speckled yellowing, dull leaves, fine webbing or sticky deposits: look under the leaves. See our articles on mealybugs and scale, thrips and spider mites.

What not to do

Add fertiliser to a plant yellowing from overwatering: you’ll burn roots that are already damaged.
Change everything at once: moving, repotting, watering and feeding on the same day. Change one thing, and observe for two weeks.
Cut off all the yellow leaves at once on a weakened plant: leave it the ones that are still half green.

Need an opinion?

Send a photo of your plant to our Plant Doctor: the whole plant, a close-up of a leaf (top and underside) and the surface of the soil. The diagnosis is free, and you can also drop by the studio at 6 Rue Zemmour, Aviation district, Rabat, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

Mealybugs and scale: how to recognise them and get rid of them

Mealybugs and scale insects are small sap-sucking insects that attach themselves to plants and draw out their sap. They’re common in Morocco, on houseplants as well as in gardens, and thrive in heat and dry air. They don’t kill a plant within days, but weaken it little by little. The good news: with regular treatment, you can get rid of them without chemicals.

Recognising them

Mealybugs

These are small white, cottony clumps, like flour or cotton wool, lodged in leaf joints, under leaves, along the veins and sometimes on the roots. They’re often found on Monsteras, Ficus, succulents and cacti.

Armoured scale

These are small brown, beige or grey shells, flat or domed, stuck to stems and under leaves. They’re often mistaken for part of the plant. Scratch with a fingernail: if the shell comes off, it’s a scale insect.

The tell-tale signs

Sticky leaves and floor: this is honeydew, the sugar excreted by the insects.
A black dust on the leaves: sooty mould, a fungus that grows on the honeydew.
Yellowing leaves and a plant that has stopped growing.

Getting rid of them, step by step

Isolate the plant: these insects easily spread from one plant to another.
Remove them by hand: a cotton bud dipped in soapy water or 70% alcohol for mealybugs; a fingernail or an old toothbrush for armoured scale. Cut back heavily infested parts.
Clean the foliage, top and underside, with cleaning gloves or a damp cloth, and rinse the plant in the shower if its size allows.
Spray ready-to-use black soap over the whole plant, concentrating on the undersides of leaves and the leaf joints. Soap works on contact: it has to touch the insects.
Repeat every five to seven days for at least a month: the protected eggs hatch in several waves.

Preventing them

Inspect every new plant before putting it with the others.
Dust the leaves regularly: you’ll spot the first insects early.
Avoid too much nitrogen fertiliser, which produces the tender shoots they love.

Frequently asked questions

Are mealybugs and scale dangerous to people or pets?
No, they only attack plants.

Should I throw the plant away?
Rarely. Only a heavily infested plant that’s already weakened is sometimes no longer worth the fight. If in doubt, ask us.