Feel like your plants are stuck in slow motion? While they all grow at their own pace, following the quiet rhythms of the seasons, a few simple tweaks can help them grow faster — even if you’re working with just a tiny terrace or small cluster of containers.
Before you begin, it’s important to note that getting the basics right makes all the difference — plants that are properly cared for grow far quicker than those under stress. Ensure you water at the right time (morning or evening), protect plants from frost during the winter months, and cut back faded flowers when needed.
Spring marks the perfect time to head outside into the garden and give your plants a much-needed check-up. Take a look at the tricks you can do below to ensure your plants grow quickly, just in time for summer.
1. It’s all in the soil
Soil might not get much attention, but it’s one of the most important factors in helping your plants thrive.
‘Most people focus on watering, but the real key to growth is nutrient-rich soil,’ says Alex Biggart, plant expert at 123 Flowers. ‘Mixing in organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure, boosts microbial activity, improves drainage, and provides plants with the balanced nutrition they need to grow at a healthy pace.’
Lucie Bradley, a gardening and greenhouse expert from Easy Garden Irrigation, agrees, adding: ‘When you want your plants to thrive and grow quickly, it’s important that you provide them with the type of soil they prefer. This includes considering the pH of the soil, so that plants like azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons get the acidic soil they need to thrive, whilst alkaline-loving plants such as achillea and hostas need to grow in areas with alkaline soil.’
2. Don’t overcrowd plants 
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From lavender to lilac, plants need enough space to grow. ‘If they are crammed together, they end up competing for water, nutrients, and light. Spacing them out a bit gives each one the room to grow faster,’ says Hillary’s gardening expert, Luke Newnes. ‘I often thin plants more than people expect, it feels counterintuitive, but the remaining ones take off.’
3. Let there be light
Unless your plants can survive in full shade (such as hostas and hellebores), even fast-growing varieties will slow down if they aren’t getting enough sunlight.
Before planting, take notice of where the sun falls in your garden. Are your patio pots stuck in the shade all day? Are your roses at risk of being scorched in the summer sun? Checking before you plant will pay off.
‘Six hours of direct sunlight a day is a good benchmark for most garden plants, but if you are aiming for flowers and fruit, those varieties will happily take more,’ says Lucie. ‘If growth isn’t going well, it might be time to consider relocating pots or pruning back leaves or branches that block the light.’
4. Deadheading and pruning 
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‘With established plants in your garden, one of the ways you can encourage vigorous, healthy growth is to prune them at the correct time of year,’ says Lucie.
‘Removing damaged or dead parts of plants as you prune encourages them to direct all their energy towards healthy stems and branches. Whilst pruning when plants are dormant should encourage vigorous, new shoot growth in the spring. For example, throughout March and April is the ideal time to prune choisya, dogwood, lavender and spirea.’
5. Fertilising and feeding
As well as pruning to encourage more flowers, one of the best ways to speed up growth is to feed them weekly — a simple job that is easily forgotten during busy months in the garden.
‘A weekly feed with a liquid fertiliser should be enough for most plants, but if potting plants, you can add granular fertiliser to provide a boost through the growing season,’ says Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director of LBS Horticulture. ‘In addition to helping them grow faster, feeding plants can encourage them to produce healthier, stronger blooms in larger numbers.’
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