Did you know there's an easy little step you can take to ensure your houseplants stay healthy? It's called soil aeration. Soil aeration is a basic houseplant care step that takes minimal effort, but most people neglect to do it.
In this article we'll give you the easy 2-step process, plus one pro-tip to elevate your plant care routine to the next level.
Why Aerate Houseplant Soil?
Air circulation to plant roots is a key factor of plant health. Many soils become impacted over time, and this can suffocate your houseplant and lead to other problems. Further issues can express themselves as root rot, fungal disease, or basic malnutrition. Further, creating air space in the soil ensures that moisture and nutrition get even distribution over roots.
How Often Should I Aerate My Plant Soil?
We recommend aerating your plants every 4-6 weeks to keep your houseplants fresh and perky. Do this prior to watering.
Easy Soil Aeration Method
- Get a wooden chop stick or thin stick of some sort
- Gently push the stick down into the soil. Be careful of roots, but don't worry if you poke a couple on the way down.
- Water, water, water until it drains out the bottom of the pot.
Pro Tip: Elevate Your Aeration
Take this aeration method one step further with this pro tip—
After step 2, spray a generous amount of Big Leaf Energy to the top of the soil, and add Big Green Leaves to your water. This will deliver the systemic benefits and nutrition of each product throughout the soil. Plus, it will help keep your plant soil's microbiome happy and healthy.
Big Leaf Energy contains organic neem oil and a conscious blend of organic essential oils that make soils thrive in long-term health. Additionally, Big Green Leave's unique blend of botanical sea kelp and organically bonded minerals make for well-fed soil microbes and full houseplant nutrition.
Related: Plant Probiotic Bacteria: Using Soil Microbes to Improve Plant Growth
You'll definitely see your plants perk up after doing this.
Happy houseplanting!