Fertilisers & Additives
Fertilisers and additives support plants when light, roots, substrate and watering are already in balance. Compare liquid feeds, slow-release options and targeted additives by plant type, dosage, application style and how often you want to maintain the routine.

About Our Filters
Filters are here to help you get to the right plants faster, without guessing. We keep our filter values consistent across the shop by cross-checking multiple references and sanity-checking them against real-world indoor growing and handling.
Use them as guidance, not guarantees. Two homes can have the same “light level” on paper and still be very different. For the details that matter most, open the product page and read the full description.
How filtering works
- Filters stack: Every selection narrows the results.
- Multiple picks in one filter are usually either/or: Selecting two genera shows plants from either genus.
- Different filter groups work together: For example, Light level + Non-toxic narrows to plants that match both.
- Undo anytime: Click a selected option again (or use the clear/reset option in the filter panel).
Quick start: pick Light level first, then refine by Plant Type and size.
Shop & availability
- Favourite Collections: Curated groups like Bestsellers, Baby Plants, Rare Plants, Easy-Care Plants, Variegated Plants, Classic Houseplants, XL Houseplants, and Plant Sets. These are browsing shortcuts, not strict care categories.
- Availability (In stock only): Hides sold-out items so you only see what can ship right now.
- Price: Narrows by the current listed price range. If a product has multiple sizes/variants, prices can span a wider range.
Pet friendly & safety
- Non-toxic: Plants we classify as not known for relevant chemical toxicity for common pets. Still: chewing can cause irritation or stomach upset even with non-toxic plants.
- Non-toxic & Pet Friendly: A stricter shortlist for curious noses and paws. This isn’t only about chemical toxicity, it also helps you avoid many plants with physical hazards like spines, sharp tips, hooked thorns, stiff bristles, or scratchy textures that can cause discomfort or minor injuries. It’s still not a green light for chewing.
Care-related filters
- Light level: From Low indirect to Full sun/direct. “Indirect” means bright light without sun hitting leaves. “Some direct” means a limited amount of gentle sun. “Full sun/direct” means sustained direct sun.
- Water Needs: Low / Medium / High describes how quickly substrate is typically allowed to dry before watering again in normal indoor conditions.
- Humidity Level: Normal (40–50%), Moist (50–60%), Humid (60–80%+). This is about your usual range and consistency, not short-lived spikes.
Growth habit & training
- Growth Habit: How a plant naturally grows: Climbing, Hanging & trailing, Crawling & spreading, Upright, Self-heading, Clumping (offsets), or Rosette (compact). Use this for placement, training, and pot shape.
- Needs support? “None” holds shape without help. “Optional” means support improves structure/size but isn’t required. “Needed” means a stake, pole, or trellis noticeably improves performance or form.
- Growth Speed: Slow / Average / Fast under decent indoor conditions. Helpful for expectations, not a promise.
Size filters (delivered vs. long-term)
- Pot size (delivered): The nursery pot diameter your plant ships in (⌀).
- Plant height (delivered): The approximate height range of the plant you’ll receive. Natural variation is normal.
- Max. Height Indoors: Realistic long-term height potential indoors with time, care, and training where relevant.
- Max. Spread Indoors: How wide a plant can get long-term (clumping width, rosette width, or overall footprint).
Looks: shape, size, colour
- Leaf Shape & Size: Quick visual categories. “Small/Medium/Large” refers to typical mature leaf size, while shape labels describe the dominant outline.
- Foliage Colour: Dominant tones/patterns (e.g., Silver & grey, Pink & Red, Golden-yellow). Individual plants can vary, and new growth often looks different before it matures.
Botanical browsing
- Plant Type: Broad groups like Aroids, Hoyas, Cacti, Ferns, Succulents, Prayer plants, and more, good for browsing by “plant vibe” and general care style.
- Genus: Filters by botanical genus (e.g., Alocasia, Philodendron, Hoya). Great if you already know what you collect.
- Family: Filters by plant family (e.g., Araceae, Apocynaceae). Useful for deep browsing across related genera.
Want to see what we reference when standardising labels? Plant Care Resources is simply a curated list of the sources we use (POWO, Kew, and more).
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Filters
Fertilisers & additives: quick buying checks
- Purpose: replace nutrients that are used, washed out or reduced in older substrates.
- Starting dose: indoors, 25-50% of the label dose is often a sensible first step.
- Best timing: feed plants showing active root or leaf growth.
- Application: apply liquid feeds to evenly moist substrate for more even distribution.
- Semi-hydro: inert substrates need a nutrient routine because the medium adds no nutrition.
Fertilisers & Additives for steady indoor growth
Indoor plants rely on limited substrate volume, so nutrients gradually wash out, get used by roots or become less available as a mix ages. Fertilisers and additives help top up that nutrition in a controlled way when the plant is already receiving suitable light, water and root conditions.
Pick the feeding style that fits your routine
- Liquid feeds: easy to dilute and adjust for regular watering routines.
- Slow-release options: a low-effort background feed for plants growing steadily in a suitable substrate.
- Specialist formulas: leaner or targeted feeds for succulents, cacti, orchids, semi-hydro setups or foliage-heavy plants.
- Additives: materials such as worm castings or root-support products for fine-tuning a potting setup.
Dose with indoor conditions in mind
Houseplants usually grow under lower light than greenhouse crops, so gentle feeding often gives a safer baseline. Start low, watch new growth, and increase only when the plant is actively growing and the substrate drains properly. Freshly repotted plants often already have nutrients in the new mix, depending on the product used.
Check before feeding
- Light: plants need enough usable light to turn nutrients into growth.
- Roots: healthy roots take up feed more evenly than damaged roots.
- Moisture: apply liquid fertiliser to evenly moist substrate unless the product says otherwise.
- Salt build-up: flush mineral residues from pots when feeding regularly, especially in semi-hydro or mineral-heavy setups.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fertilizers
Do indoor plants really need fertilizer?
Usually yes, because nutrients in potting mix do not last forever. Most houseplants benefit from feeding while they are actively growing, but not from constant feeding regardless of season or condition.
How often should I fertilize houseplants?
It depends on the fertilizer type, the substrate, and how actively the plant is growing. Most houseplants do best with light, regular feeding during active growth, then less or none when growth slows in lower light or winter conditions. Plants in inert or semi-hydro substrates usually need a different routine.
What happens if I over-fertilize a plant?
Too much fertilizer causes salt build-up in the root zone. That can show up as brown tips, scorched edges, weak growth, wilting, root stress, or a white crust on the mix or pot.
Are coffee grounds, eggshells, or Epsom salts good for houseplants?
Not as routine houseplant fertilizer. They only make sense when they solve a real, identified problem, and used blindly they are more likely to create imbalance, residue, or confusion than to improve growth.
Should I fertilize a stressed or struggling plant?
No. Fix the real problem first, whether that is poor light, root trouble, temperature stress, pest pressure, or bad watering. Fertilizer supports growth; it does not rescue a plant that is already in trouble.
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