Watering & fertilising tips

Watering

• Common reasons for plant death is under watering or overwatering; more often the latter. Don’t be tempted to fix your watering routine. Time of year, humidity and lighting conditions all play a part in water absorption. Rather, use the soil moisture as an indicator on whether to water or wait another few days. Some plants like their soil to dry out a little before re-watering. Others like their soil more on the wet side.

• Cover pots are a stylish way to feature your pot plants. Periodically check the cover pot is not holding excess water at the bottom of the pot. We don’t want to drown the plant’s roots and kill the plant.

• Look out for water repellent soil. Old potting mix, infrequent watering may lead to hydrophobic soil. When the soil is watered and the water pools on top of the soil and doesn’t soak into the soil or the water runs of to the side, the soil is considered hydrophobic. Sprinkle Searles Penetraide onto the soil to promote better water absorption. This is ideal for pots and garden beds, as its benefits last for up to 12 months after each application.

Fertilising

• Indoor plants grow slower than outdoor varieties and consequently need less feeding. Be careful not to overfeed. Use an instant liquid fertiliser, such as Searles Flourish - Indoor & Greening to provide fast acting nutrients of balanced NPK and chelated trace elements for abundant leaf growth and deep greening.

• In addition to liquid feeding, use Searles Recharge – Pots & Gardens controlled release fertiliser every six months for long term feeding. This product is ideal in all pots, especially those that are too heavy to re-pot but need soil to be revitalised. Searles Recharge also contains re-wetting granules to aid water penetration, preventing the mix to dryout. It also helps the roots with nutrient uptake.

• Fertilise regularly during peak growing season, generally throughout spring, summer and autumn. Fertilising can be reduced during winter.