Spring into action: 6 + 1 tips for repotting your houseplants

Spring brings a chance to rejuvenate our indoor gardens, focusing on the essentials of plant care. Dusting, pruning, soil changing, and proper watering are key steps to awaken our green friends from their winter slumber. See our tips for repotting and nurturing your botanical buddies!

Audo Copenhagen Hydrous planter
Embrace the ritual of growth: a moment of care with sleek design and lush greenery. Pots by Audo Copenhagen.

WITH THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING, it's time to pay attention to our indoor plants, giving them the care they deserve after a long winter: cleaning the leaves, changing the soil and ensuring our plants are well-watered and nourished. To make plant care enjoyable and effective, we recommend stylish and functional tools from brands like Vitra, Skultuna or Audo Copenhagen. See our tips for repotting your indoor garden, ensuring your plants not only survive but thrive in their new homes.

Vitra Toolbox RE
Begin spring plant care with a tender cleanse; give your leafy friends a lukewarm shower or brush away the winter’s dust with a moist cloth. The chair, stools and toolbox are by Vitra.

1. Dust off

Begin your plants' spring rejuvenation by liberating their leaves from dust, as it not only makes them look dull and gray but also makes photosynthesis more difficult. Give your leafy companions a gentle, warm shower or a wipe their leaves with a moist cloth, breathing life back into their vibrant hues. It's advisable to wipe off dust at other times too, perhaps during cleaning day, or to mist them regurarly with a spray bottle to keep the dust away. We recommend gathering your plant care tools in Vitra's Toolbox, your ally in this nurturing quest, making each swipe and spray a breeze.

Vitra Toolbox >
All containers >

 Pallarès x Audo Copenhagen plant pruner
It's time for a little facelift for your plants: tailor your indoor jungle with the Pallarès x Audo Copenhagen’s pruning shears, encouraging new growth.

2. Prune the leaves

Trim away the winter weariness from your plants by snipping off yellowed or drooping leaves with the help of a sharp knife or pruning shears. The elegant Pallarès x Audo Copenhagen collab is essentially designed for the garden, but the collection's plant shears or more robust pruning shears are also perfectly suitable for indoor plant care.

Tip: Don’t overlook the opportunity to propagate, as those trimmed twigs could be the start of a new green life. Nestle them in water or moist soil and watch them grow! If you place them in water, we recomment a vase in clear glass.

Pallarès x Audo Copenhagen plant pruner >
All garden tools >

Arabia Puutarhurit plant pot
What better way to support your plant pals than with fresh soil? Arabia's Puutarhurit plant pot is adorned with a whimsical pattern designed by Armi Teva.

3. Change the soil

Most houseplants benefit from moving into fresh soil every spring. This also offers the perfect opportunity to check their roots: if they're looking cramped, consider upsizing the plants' homes. For your larger plant pals, however, changing just the topsoil might suffice – experience has taught us that repotting a giant Monstera isn't quite as simple as you might think!

Many flower pots, like the Arabia Puutarhurit pot, don't have a hole at the bottom. For these solid pots without drainage, a layer of pot gravel at the base promises a breath of fresh air to roots, ensuring moisture and breathability coexist harmoniously.

Puutarhurit plant pot >
All planters >

Skultuna Nurture watering can
The Nurture collection by Skultuna encourages taking care of plants through beautiful objects – and our own well-being by surrounding ourselves with greenery.

4. Water thoroughly

Quench the thirst of your newly potted plants with a thorough watering, encouraging the shy roots to stretch and grow in their new home. For the forgetful among us, technology in the form of watering globes or self-watering pots offers a helping hand. A beautiful watering can also help increase your enthusiasm for watering: for example, Skultuna's Nurture watering can by Ilse Crawford is the ideal addition to your watering ritual, turning a simple act into a moment of zen.

Nurture watering can >
All watering cans >

Design House Stockholm Botanic Pedestal planter
Plant stands facilitate positioning plants in the bright spots of the home. The Botanic Pedestal planter can accommodate several houseplants at once.

5. Light and nutrition

Post-soil change, your plants are primed to feast on light and nutrients. Begin fertilization about a month later, catering to the appetites of diverse flora: the rule of thumb is that nearly all potted plants benefit from fertilization, but not all need it equally. For example, it's advisable to get a milder fertilizer specifically created for orchids.

After a long winter, the right light can transform your plants from surviving to thriving. Elevate your greens onto pedestals and stands like Design House Stockholm's Botanic Pedestal, ensuring they bask in their preferred spots of sunshine.

Botanic Pedestal planter >
All plant stands >

Green Home Book
Green Home Book is a richly illustrated guidebook to a lush, verdant home.

6. Dive deeper

For those yearning to deepen their bond with their botanical buddies, the Green Home Book by Riikka Kantinkoski and Susanna Vento awaits. It’s a treasure trove of care tips and styling inspiration, ready to transform your space into a verdant haven.

Green Home Book >
Read also: Fill your home with houseplants and make them flourish >

Fundamental Berlin Air Trophy plant stand
Air plants require no repotting as they can be placed in something other than a traditional pot. The Air Trophy plant stand by Fundamental Berlin is designed specifically for air plants.

+1: Embrace effortless greenery

For those seeking the calming presence of plants without the commitment, why not explore the effortless beauty of cut flowers or air plants? The latter are low-maintenance companions, asking nothing but a cozy corner to thrive in. Air plants don't need to be planted at all, as they absorb the moisture they need from the air through their leaves, allowing them to be placed in a glass bowl or a terrarium, or perhaps Fundamental Berlin's Air Trophy stand, an elevated throne for your ethereal air plants.

Air Trophy plant holder >
All indoor gardening products >

See also:

Indoor gardening at Finnish Design Shop >
Read also: How to choose the perfect planter? Introducing six beautiful pots >

Text: Emmi Ratilainen Images: Manufacturers

Previous story
Next story




Dive into Finnish Design Shop’s amazing Black Friday deals – up to 50% off!

Make it yours

For the love of design

Design Stories is Finnish Design Shop's own online magazine, that takes you to beautiful Nordic homes, introduces new products and beloved icons – and much more!

Go to the Design Stories front page

Shop Nordic design

Design Stories is provided by Finnish Design Shop, the world’s largest online store specialized in Nordic design.

Discover our selection

Buy & sell authentic vintage

Franckly.com is a curated online marketplace for pre-owned design maintained by Finnish Design Shop.

Find treasures at Franckly