Is Fertilizer Good For Houseplants?

Caring for houseplants is very different to caring for plants that live outdoors. So, even if you have lots of experience growing plants and flowers in your backyard, you might find it difficult to keep a houseplant alive. This is simply because houseplants behave very differently to outdoor plants.

Plants that live outdoors, and houseplants live in very different environments and conditions. Outdoor plants are exposed to a lot more than indoor plants, and for this reason they often become more hardy. Whereas a lot of indoor plants tend to require a lot more care from their owners.

If you are new to keeping houseplants, you might be wondering if you have to fertilize them. In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at whether, or not, fertilizer is good for houseplants and lots more. So to find out more, keep on reading.

What Is Fertilizer?

First things first, let’s take a look at what fertilizer is. As you probably already know fertilizer is a chemical or natural substance that is added to soil to increase its fertility.

In turn, the fertilizer improves the quality of the soil and this makes it easier for plants and flowers to grow within it. If you are familiar with gardening outdoors, you will be familiar with fertilizers because they are commonly used.

Fertilizers are not only used by gardeners, but by farmers too in order to increase crop yield. While you can get natural fertilizers, a lot of the time people use chemical fertilizers instead because these have proven, good results.

Typically, fertilizers will include essential nutrients for plants. These nutrients might include potassium nitrogen and phosphorus, and lots more.

In short, fertilizers are used to improve soil and in turn, the chances of plants growing. However, as we have said, houseplants are very different from outdoor plants. So, are fertilizers good for houseplants? Let’s find out.

Is Fertilizer Good For Houseplants?

If you are new to keeping houseplants then one of the first things you’ll probably want to know is if you should fertilize them. A lot of the time, fertilization is essential for the growth of outdoor plants full stop but is this the case for indoor plants? Let’s take a look.

Ultimately, whether a houseplant requires fertilization, or not, will depend on the specific houseplant you are growing. But, most of the time, houseplants will need to be fertilized in order to receive the nutrients essential for healthy growth.

Plants get the majority of their nutrients from the soil that they are growing in. So, if the soil you are using isn’t up to scratch, you might need to fertilize it.

Thankfully, there are lots of fertilizers that are specifically designed for indoor plants. This makes life a lot easier if you are new to keep in houseplants.

As these are designed for indoor plants, they specifically include the nutrients that indoor plants will not get because they are kept indoors.

That is why it is very important that you use a fertilizer that is designed for indoor plants, not a fertilizer that’s designed for outdoor plants. But what fertilizer is good for houseplants? Let’s find out.

Which Fertilizer Is Good For Indoor Houseplants?

When it comes to buying a fertilizer for houseplants, the most critical thing that you need to remember is to buy a fertilizer designed for houseplants. Luckily, there are lots of fertilizers out there, specifically designed for plants that live inside. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best.

Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food

When it comes to plant food Miracle-Gro has an outstanding reputation, and it is easy to see why. All of their products have been proven to help plants grow, and they are definitely a fan favorite when it comes to fertilizer.

So, it really isn’t surprising that their indoor plant food is excellent too.

Joyful Dirt Houseplant

If you would prefer an organic plant fertilizer, then you might like this Joyful Dirt houseplant food. This formula is completely organic, and it is super easy to use too.

All you have to do is sprinkle the formula over the soil of your houseplant, and the plant food will do the rest. So, there’s no shock that this is one of the best options available.

Purived Houseplant Food

Finally, if you want a natural, liquid fertilizer, then Purived houseplant food is great. This formula is entirely natural, and it is easy to use because you can simply pour it into the pot of your houseplant.

This is a costly option, but it is made in the USA, so you will be supporting a US-based company if you purchase this fertilizer.

How Do You Put Fertilizer On Indoor Plants?

The way in which you add fertilizer to your indoor plants will depend entirely on the type of fertilizer that you are using. Most fertilizers will come with instructions on how to use them on the packet, so you should always follow these.

However, most of the time, indoor plant fertilizers will either be in powder or liquid form. So, let’s take a quick look at how to add these to your houseplants.

Adding powder fertilizer to your houseplant is really simple. All you have to do is sprinkle the fertilizer directly from the shaker onto your houseplant.

The fertilizer will then make its way into the soil, and from there it will do its job. In contrast, liquid fertilizers are usually watered down in a watering can, and then poured over the houseplant the next time that you water it.

However, you should always follow the instructions for the specific fertilizer that you are using because these instructions will tell you the most effective way to use the fertilizer.

Summary

In short, yes, fertilizer is good for houseplants. As long as the fertilizer that you use is specifically designed for indoor plants. Indoor plants will require different nutrients to outdoor plants because of the different conditions that they grow in.

So, when you are buying fertilizer for your houseplant, make sure that you purchase one that is designed for indoor plants if you want your plants to grow successfully.