When Should You Repot Your House Plants

When Should you repot?

This is probably one of the biggest questions we ask in the plant world.  Once we get a new plant we want to put our new beautiful plant into a pot of our very own immediately to match our decor, or we see some roots popping out of the bottom and immediately think it’s ready to go into a much larger pot.  These are some things that will most likely cause our beautiful plants to have some issues.  Let’s go over when we should and should not repot,

Why should you repot your indoor plants?

Like most of us we will outgrow our homes, we will have children, a few pets bought some awesome furniture and have absolutely nowhere to put everything.  So, we have to find somewhere bigger with more space so that we can grow.  This is just like our plants, they will outgrow there pots and will need a new pot for all of their roots to grow.

If your plant needs a new home here are some signs that it will give you:

• The roots will start growing out of the drainage holes or are very visible above the soil.

• Water is sitting on the top of the soil and not absorbing.

• The soil always seems to be dried out and disintegrating.

• You have not repotted the plant in years (this is a plant by plant instance).

• The plant is bursting out of it’s pot.

Sometimes the soil will look faded, but the plant is still a good size for the pot, this just means you will need to change the soil.  All of the nutrients have been drained out of the soil. Like our homes, we all need to freshen up our surroundings.  This is the same with our plants.

When should we repot plants?

The best time to repot your plants is just before the new growing season, so that will either be late winter or early spring.  This allows the plant to soak up all the nutrients front he new soil and spread out in their bigger pots just in time to look fabulous for summer.

Normally, plants need repotting every 12-18 months, but to me this is a plant by plant basis.  This does not mean you should go ahead and repot your plants every 12-18 months.  Some plants are very fast growers and others take forever to grow!  Look for the repotting signs, and don’t repot before they are ready.  Some slow-growing plants like cactus and snake plants will be able to stay int their pots for many years and it will just need soil refreshes.  Key here is to know your plants and to watch for the signs.

How to repot a plant properly

To make sure your plant lives a long and happy life, you should follow these steps below on how to repot them without the risk of killing them in the process. Before you start pulling your plants out of their pots, gather these items:

- A new pot

- Potting mix

- A trowel

- Gloves

- Scissors or a sharp knife

- A watering can

1. Choose a slightly bigger pot

Since it’s likely your plant has outgrown its old pot, you’ll need to get another one that’s slightly bigger to allow extra room for more growth. You don’t want to get a pot that’s too big, as the plant will feel overwhelmed and the roots won’t know where to go. The best bet would be just to up one size, so if your plant is in a 4” pot, go up to a 6” pot and so on. Also, make sure the new pot has drainage holes so your plant isn’t sitting in water for weeks which will lead to root rot.

2. Fill the pot with new potting soil

Pour a fresh layer of potting soil into the new pot. I like to make my own potting soil mixture.  Half potting soil, some orchid bark, perlite and worm castings, but this is not a necessity (we will get into soil mixtures another time),  You want to fill up the pot about a third of the way up. This is so the plant has enough room to grow without spilling over the top. You can get great nutrient-rich potting mix for your plants in any garden center.

3. Remove the plant from its old pot

Whatever you do, don’t just pull the plant right out of the pot as this can damage the leaves and the roots too! Instead, turn it upside down, putting your hand over the top of the pot, and loosen the plant by rotating it a few times. You may also need to tap the sides of the pot to get the plant moving. When the plant comes out, lay it down on its side.

4. Loosen and prune the roots

If the roots are all tangled, loosen them gently with your hands. You can prune any extra-long roots that are growing outside of the core root ball and leave the thick, healthy ones at the base of the ball. Pruning your plant’s roots will help it thrive in its new pot and allow the healthy roots to establish easier, but make sure you do only prune the tangled outer roots that have started balling and avoid the larger more prominent ones.

5. Place the plant in its new home

Create a little well in the new soil where your plant will sit and then pop the plant in the hole. Make sure the plant is centered and straighten it up before adding a bit more soil around it and patting it down securely. Water your plant to help settle the new soil. It might take your plant a little while to adjust to its new home, so make sure you keep it out of any bright light and don’t water it too often.

There you go!  You did it, you just repotted your plant.

Let me know if you have any questions or would like to know more about repotting your plants.

Lisa