The best indoor plant fertilizer is overlooked by some gardeners. As every gardener knows, you need to provide plants with light and water if they’re going to grow. Getting those two elements right can be tricky enough. Making sure you don’t provide too much or too little of either is important. But then you have to consider your plant’s nutritional needs. They leach nutrients from the soil, but the chemicals in your typical gardening soil are seldom enough to make your plant thrive. You’ll likely need to supplement their nutrition with an added fertilizer. Learn about choosing the best soils and indoor fertilizers for your plants, and try one of these top fertilizers to give your plants the nutrient boost they need.
What’s in the Best Indoor Plant Fertilizer?
When choosing the best indoor plant fertilizer, you first need to understand what components make up the fertilizer. Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, the main macronutrients, are the most important elements. You’ll also see secondary macronutrients, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, in your various fertilizer choices. Various micronutrients may be present in minimal amounts, such as copper, iron, and manganese. Some plants need particular nutrients to thrive. Others need a good combination of the basics from a high-quality all-purpose fertilizer.
What is NPK?
On many containers of fertilizer, you’ll see three numbers in the format of 00-00-00. These numbers refer to the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium found in the fertilizer. Each number tells you the percent of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, respectively, within each container of fertilizer. In other words, a fertilizer classified as 20-10-20 will contain 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorous, and 20% potassium.
However, knowing how much of each element is present can’t help you find the perfect fertilizer if you don’t know what each element does. Nitrogen, a major component of chlorophyll, can stimulate leaf and stem growth. Phosphorus, on the other hand, will help your plants convert nutrients into usable building blocks, helping with root growth and flowering. Protein synthesis requires potassium, which controls the opening and closing of stomata, and regulates CO2 uptake. Plants may need different amounts of one element, depending on what stage of their growth cycle they’re in. Whether they consist mostly of leafy green foliage or beautiful flowering buds is also a factor.
Jack’s Classic All Purpose Fertilizer
Jack’s Classic All Purpose Fertilizer is a great all-purpose fertilizer. You can use it for indoor and outdoor plants, including tees, shrubs, vegetables, flowers, and bulbs. This fertilizer formula encourages fast growth and leaf expansion.
Jack’s Classic Blossom Booster
Jack’s Classic Blossom Booster is a flower-encouraging formula designed for flowering plants, fruit trees, hanging baskets, and berry bushes. They designed it to stimulate fruiting and flowering specifically. Plus, it provides the right nutrients for the most robust roots and greenest foliage.
Maxsea Plant Food
Maxsea Plant Food is an all-purpose fertilizer that you can use year-round. The seaweed granules in this plant food contain over 60 elements. More importantly, this plant food helps your plants produce dark green foliage, beautiful blooms, and plentiful fruit and vegetables. You’ll find all the primary and secondary macronutrients as well as all the micronutrients your plants need to thrive.
Dyna-Gro Liquid Grow & Liquid Bloom
The Dyna-Gro Liquid Grow & Liquid Bloom two-pack comes with everything needed to give your plants the right nutrients during their vegetative, growth, and flowering stages. Conveniently, this fertilizer combo allows you to adjust the nutrients you provide to suit each growth cycle perfectly.
General Hydroponics Combo Pack
The General Hydroponics Combo Pack includes a bottle of FloraGro, FloraBloom, & FloraMicro liquid fertilizer. These fertilizers contain a complete complement of all primary macronutrients. Plus, they also offer secondary macronutrients and micronutrients needed for maximum yield and high-quality crops. Ultimately, you can adjust your mixtures using these three different formulas to achieve just the right mix for your plants.
Fox Farm Combo Pack
The Fox Farm Combo Pack comes with Open Sesame, Cha-Ching, and Beastie Bloomz. These three different fertilizer formulas will encourage early flowering, late flowering, and large blossoms. It’s great for both container and hydroponic gardening. In fact, we suggest you use these formulas to get the most beautiful blooms and the longest flowering time possible.
Fox Farm Bush Doctor Boomerang
The Fox Farm Bush Doctor Boomerang fertilizer is a microbial-based formula, designed to repair damaged roots. Use this fertilizer when your plants have undergone excessive stress and need to bounce back quickly to survive and thrive.
Miracle-Gro Quick Start Solution
Miracle-Gro Quick Start Solution is a planting and transplanting fertilizer customized to help plants adapt to their new homes. Transplanting can be stressful for your plants. So, this formula is meant to prevent transplant shock. It gives your plants the nutrients they need to take root and grow happily in their new homes.
The Best Indoor Plant Fertilizer for Orchids
Orchids tend to have different needs than most other flowering plants, including their fertilizer needs. This is why Miracle-Gro Orchid Food is perfect for orchids, African violets, and all acid-loving plants. It encourages rich leaf colors, strong roots, and vibrant blooms.
Earth Pods Cactus & Succulent Formula
Earth Pods are easy-to-use fertilizer capsules that you push directly into your plant’s soil. Alternatively, you can open and spread the pod contents over the soil or substrate. Obviously, the Earth Pods Cactus & Succulent Formula is ideal for cacti and succulents. It stimulates strong root and stem growth and provides the nutrients required for vibrant colors.
The Best Indoor Plant Fertilizer - The Wrap-up
All these fertilizers are excellent choices, but it’s important to know your plants’ specific needs before choosing one. An all-purpose fertilizer might be all you need, or you may need something that’s tailored to a specific species. Regardless of the fertilizer you choose, always read the label and follow the directions carefully. If your fertilizer doesn’t specify how much to give potted plants, start with about ¼ of the recommendation for outdoor plants.
Only give your plants as much fertilizer as they require. We say this because over-fertilizing can create a buildup of salts that may harm beneficial microorganisms. These excess salts can also cause fertilizer burn. This will result in a yellow or brown discoloration of the leaves and damage to the roots. It comes from too much moisture being drawn out of the plant. Choose the best indoor plant fertilizer, use only as much as required, and your plants will show their gratitude by producing luscious foliage and full, gorgeous blooms.
