Making indoor plants grow faster might seem untrue, but these tips can be your gateway to a truly lush and healthy garden!
If you want to accelerate the growth of your indoor plants, it’s obviously not one-day magic. It’s all about optimising the environmental conditions of the plant as per its needs. Anyway, you can keep your worries aside, as we have got you some practical ways to supercharge your plants from scratch.
How To Make Indoor Plants Grow Faster
1. Always Grab Healthy Houseplants
A plant with healthy traits will always shine. So, whenever you visit the nursery, ditch those plants with wilting, drooping foliage, and mushy stems, as they can be a telltale sign of a previous disease. Inspect the undersides of the foliage and spots near the petiole well to spot any traces of pest infestation.
Also, talk to the gardener or any local guy at the plant center and get matured plants, as their health is easy to detect.
2. Provide the Sweet Sun Spot
It’s a common belief that indoor plants don’t need light. While this is true for some shade lovers, the majority of them need some dappled light to aid faster growth, so finding a perfect sunspot is necessary. The safest spot to place any typical houseplant is near the north—or east-facing windows, where they can enjoy a few hours of mild sunlight without the risk of sunburn from the peak hours.
If your plant isn’t getting enough light, it might start stretching towards the nearest light source. In that case, rotating your pot also helps. Also, for dimly lit corners, you can supplement with grow lights placed 18 inches above for 12–14 hours, which may give your plant the extra boost it needs.
The key here is to research the plant’s needs well, as certain succulents and flowering or fruiting plants appreciate higher levels of sunlight and might prefer a south-facing windowsill to the less-lit corners of the house.
3. Snip off the Tips and Ugly Growth
This happens to be the most effective way to boost plant growth, as when you prune the tips, it disrupts the plant’s auxins—hormones that regulate growth. This hormone is saturated in the plant tips and gets redistributed to other parts of the plant, encouraging new shoots and branches to emerge.
Plus, removing diseased or damaged parts stops the plant from wasting energy on non-productive areas and directs resources to healthy growth. Additionally, thinning out dense foliage allows better light penetration and air circulation, boosting photosynthesis and reducing the risk of fungal infections.
4. Keep the Plants Slightly Root Bound
This is an easy trick that doesn’t require extra effort. Just don’t bother repotting it every other year, and you will notice the plant showing lusher, more compact, and healthier growth than other plants.
When plants are slightly root-bound, their roots have less room to grow outward, which forces them to focus on growing upwards and producing more foliage. Additionally, root-bound plants have better access to nutrients and water because their roots are more concentrated in the potting soil.
In fact, this constriction can stimulate the plant to flower more profusely or send out more pups as a survival mechanism. However, ensure not to let the plant become too root-bound, as this can lead to stress, poor nutrient uptake, and eventually decline in health.
If you notice the roots growing out of the drainage holes, the plant wilting frequently, or the soil drying out very quickly, it’s time to repot into a slightly larger container.
5. Stake Up the Vining Ones
This step is particularly true for vining plants that need some sort of support to grow in their full glory. Installing a moss pole, or a plant stake allows the vines to grow up and access all the available light. Better light exposure boosts photosynthesis and helps in promoting better air circulation around the foliage. Improved air flow reduces the risk of fungal infections and pest infestations, which can otherwise hinder plant growth.
10. Meet Their Watering Needs Carefully
Overwatering makes the plant vulnerable by causing root rot and stunted growth. This gives an indirect invitation to unwanted pests. And on the other hand, underwatering makes the plant dry and crispy. So, before every watering session, stick your finger into the soil; if the top inch feels dry, it’s watering time. Avoid sticking to a schedule; different plants and environments have different needs.
The best bet is to saturate the plant with water until it drains out from the bottom. Repeat it again when the top layer of the soil dries out. This will ensure the roots get enough moisture while not making it soggy.
Booster Tip: Try considering bottom watering. Fill a shallow dish with water and place your pot on top, resting on pebbles. The water wicks up through the drainage holes, giving your plant a good drink without risking soggy soil.
6. Use Aspirin Water as a Growth Booster
One of the most unconventional tricks on the list, aspirin water, is a clever trick to help your plants grow faster. Aspirin contains salicylic acid, which is vital for plant growth and defense. Research shows that salicylic acid helps plants manage stress from disease, pests, and environmental fluctuations, making them more resilient. It also aids in producing proteins that strengthen the plant’s defenses.
Dissolve an aspirin tablet in a gallon of water and use it to water your plants with this solution once every month.
7. Add Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Potting Mix
These beneficial fungi form partnerships with plant roots, creating a network that helps plants absorb more nutrients and water, especially phosphorus. This leads to faster, stronger growth and healthier plants overall.
To use mycorrhizal fungi, simply mix the inoculant with your potting soil before planting, or sprinkle it around the base of potted plants and gently work it into the soil. You can follow another step—when transplanting, dust the root ball with the fungi to ensure immediate contact. Afterward, water the plants well to help the fungi settle in.
You can find mycorrhizal fungi at most garden centers, nurseries, or online gardening websites.
9. Don’t Skip Feeding Completely
All plants need a balanced diet for proper growth. A good-quality, all-purpose fertiliser diluted to half strength is perfect. Apply it every two to four weeks during the prime growing season—spring and summer—to keep your plant healthy. Always keep in mind that fertiliser is like a vitamin; too much can deteriorate your plant’s health. Ease off the feeding in winter when growth slows down.
Booster Tip: If you had a bad experience with chemical fertilisers, then you can easily DIY your own homemade fertiliser. Epsom salt, diluted at a rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon of water, is a great source of magnesium and can give your plant a gentle growth boost. Some kitchen scraps, like banana peels, rich in potassium, and onion peels, with vitamin B and other beneficial minerals, can be steeped in water to create a natural fertiliser tea. You can also feed your plants with organic options like manure, compost, or bone meal.
8. Curate the Right Potting Soil Mix
Most indoor plants live happily in a well-draining mix that allows water to flow through easily, preventing soggy roots. To achieve this, you can add equal parts of regular potting mix, perlite for perfect air circulation, and orchid bark for extra drainage. Also, you can add a handful of compost to meet their nutritional need.
11. Don’t Ignore Fluctuations
Most houseplants are happy campers in temperatures between 65°F and 75°F. Even a slight change in the temperature may delay your plant’s growth. For better and faster growth, it’s necessary to maintain a balanced temper. Avoid exposing your plants to hot or cold air; sudden temperature swings can stress them. Keep them away from drafts, draughty windows, and heat vents.
Dry indoor air may zap the moisture from your plant’s leaves, which can slow down the growth. Generally, 40–60% humidity is an ideal range for all indoor plants. For maintaining humidity, try grouping plants together, as it helps create a mini-humid microclimate. You can also use a pebble tray, place your pot on a tray filled with pebbles and water, the water evaporates and adds humidity. If your indoor space is still lacking the ideal humidity range, then you can introduce a humidifier to your indoor space for a more permanent solution.
12. Keep an Eye on the Pests
Mealybugs, spider mites, and fungus gnats are some common pests that can stunt growth. To prevent this, regularly inspect your plants for signs of infestation, like sticky residue, webbing, or tiny crawling insects. Neem oil spray or insecticidal soap are effective solutions for most common pests.
Note: A healthy plant with balanced moisture levels is less susceptible to pests in the first place.
