Plants not growing taller, no response to fertilizer or watering? Here's how to fix it

Have any plant lovers felt this way: you've watered, fertilized, and cared for your plants with all your heart, so why are they still growing so slowly? The truth is, the potting soil has a problem. Generally, after a period of time, you need to loosen the soil once, otherwise the potting soil will become compacted, which affects growth.

1. Tapping to loosen the soil

This method is fairly simple, also known as vibration soil loosening. You can simply pick up the flower pot and tap evenly around its sides to loosen the soil. However, this method is more suitable for green foliage plants; using it on flowering plants may cause the petals to fall off.

2. Loosening soil with a bamboo skewer or wooden stick

You can use a bamboo skewer or a wooden stick to gently pry along the inner edge of the pot to loosen the soil; you only need to loosen the top layer.

Next comes a deeper approach. Gently tap the outer wall of the pot a few times with your hand to loosen the potting soil and prepare for the next step. Then insert a harder wooden stick along the inner wall of the pot all the way to the bottom and slowly begin to loosen the soil. Of course, you must be careful of the plant's roots and never damage them.

3. Loosening soil with gardening tools

If you don't have gardening tools, don't be discouraged. You can make some tools yourself to loosen the soil. Actually, the most commonly used small rake will do; it's perfect for loosening the surface layer of soil, and this method also works for large pots.

4. Loosening soil through holes

This method is quite practical, and generally many people use it. You just need to poke a few small holes in the potting soil with chopsticks, then pour clean water into the holes; you need to water thoroughly, then use a small rake or other soil-loosening tool to loosen the soil. Isn't it simple?

5. Timing for loosening the soil

There is a right time for loosening the soil; it's not something you do whenever you feel like it. Seedlings and plants that have just been repotted certainly cannot have their soil loosened. Generally, you only loosen the potting soil after the plant has been growing in the pot for more than three months. If the plant is growing well, you don't need to loosen the potting soil either. And when loosening the soil, you must be gentle, otherwise it's easy to damage the roots.