We can all take a lesson from the musical, The Little Shop of Horrors and learn how to feed our houseplants because our houseplants are hungry and just want some food (also water and sunlight).

It seems that for nearly as long as I’ve been living on my own, I’ve always had at least one houseplant. When I lived with my parents, we had fake plants (that are still residing at my mom’s house today). Like many people, I enjoy flowers and plants. It is pleasant to bring a bit of the outdoors inside. I know that plants are supposed to help clear the air inside a home or office, but to me, that is just a pleasant bonus.

So even though, I’ve had a long relationship with houseplants, like most people, there have been varying degrees of success with them. I think I nearly as many (or more) died than flourished. I have always taken the view that it is worth it to keep trying, learn from my mistakes, and pass on that knowledge to anyone who is interested. It has been a journey figuring out how to care for houseplants. It was a game changer when I finally learned the secret to having beautiful houseplants is to feed them!

I’m a fairly lazy gardener and if anything requires too much time or delicate handling, or that is overly complicated, I will not do it. So What I use and love are Jobes fertilizer spikes. You simply place the two-inch spikes into the soil surrounding the plant and replace as needed. I add them about every three months.

How to feed your houseplants based on the size of your containers:

You can buy Jobes Spikes on Amazon or at your local garden center in the houseplant section.

Outside in a garden or in nature, plants get nutrients from the soil and from the breaking down of organic material like bark and leaves. Inside your home or office in a container, it lives in a protected environment. For some things, like pest management, it makes caring for plants much easier. Plants that you purchase often come with time released fertilizer in the soil. So for the first several months, they will thrive and then, they will start to look a little sad. If you give them a little food every three or four months, they will continue to grow and thrive. It doesn’t have to be precise, however, it is important not to overfeed them so err on the side of neglect. Also, you don’t really need to feed your plants in the winter unless they are flowering. This is their dormant period where they aren’t growing. If you do feed them, don’t stress about it though, they will be fine.