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.
