Fertilising your plants can be intimidating. Too much and you may cause root rot. Too little and you may be denying your plants a chance to grow bigger and fuller. So what do you need to think about when you want to fertilise your plants?

Most important is timing. Spring is the best time to fertilise your plants as they are about to enter a naturally productive growth phase. The best way to think about fertiliser is as a sidekick to the potting mix you're using. The soil will be full of nutrients for the plant to absorb. However, after a period of time the plant will have absorbed all the nutrients it can from the soil. That's where you step in with fertiliser, to keep the plant growing. Essentially, you're feeding it. 

There are different types of fertilisers. As a general rule, try to aim to use a natural fertiliser, not a synthetic one. One common type is liquid. Usually this will be a concentrated mix of something like seaweed that you need to mix with water to dilute it. If you keep it too concentrated, you run the risk of essentially poisoning your plant. Another option is a granular fertiliser, which is basically fertiliser pellets that you mix in with your potting soil. These tend to work better for outdoor plants or gardens - again, you run the risk of overloading your indoor plant if you put these in a smaller tub. 

Once you've found a fertilising mix that works for you and your plants, aim to top up the fertiliser once roughly every month, depending on your plants. 

Make sure to keep an eye on them in the coming months - if you're adding too much fertiliser the leaves will start to droop and die. If that happens, best to cut back a bit and stick to watering for a while until they regain their strength. 

Happy planting!