Plant Care 101: Repotting (Advice, Tips & Methods)
Repotting houseplants is one of the top services performed in the Plant Lab. With the spring season arriving, we wanted to highlight this topic and hopefully share some of the most important information regarding repotting. Let’s get to it!
Nursery pots in a wide range of sizes & shapes to nest into decorative pots/planters
What is repotting?
Repotting a plant simply refers to removing the plant from one planter or container and moving it to a new one. During this process, soil is changed or refreshed, roots can be inspected for signs of damage or health, and from there we can adjust our soil type or amendments to promote or deter water retention depending on the plants preference.
Why is repotting important?
Repotting a plant is important because it allows a plants roots to obtain water appropriately/evenly, promotes healthy growth and nutrient uptake, and allows us a good opportunity to adjust soil ingredients for the age/size/type of specimen you’re working with.
In some situations, the soil used by growers/nurseries or suppliers might not be high quality, or your environment might need some compensation from the substrate (soil mix) to achieve a specific result.
“Downpotting”
Sizing your pot down to an appropriate size relative to the plants root structure can be a very beneficial move in certain situations. Plants that are in planters too large will water unevenly, and your chances of root-rot increase. A smaller volume of soil can dry out more quickly/appropriately, allow the roots to obtain water, and grow to a good structure to support the plant better.
When should you repot your houseplants?
Houseplants should be repotted when they outgrow their current pot. This is usually most apparent when a lot of roots grow out of the drainage holes, or when the plant is drying out very quickly even after a thorough watering. We typically see good results when a plant is allowed to establish itself in its current container to the point of being slightly root-bound. You’ve probably heard us caution against repotting “too big, too soon”.
In our area (Zone 9B), the best time to repot houseplants is in the spring or fall when the weather is mild. This gives plants time to adjust to a new pot before the hot summer or cold winter weather arrives.
Choosing a new pot/planter:
The new pot/planter should be only one size larger than the current pot (i.e. a 4” pot -> 6” -> 8” etc). If the pot is too large, the plant will focus on growing roots instead of foliage.
In some cases, a pot thats too large will contribute to overwatering issues; soil that stays too wet for too long will promote fungi, bacteria, and mold growth, promote root rot, and encourage pests like fungus gnats & mosquitos to move in.
Additionally, as the plant uses energy and resources to grow roots, foliage growth can slow or even stop, further contributing to possible complications.
Try to choose the appropriate size for your plant by checking the root structure of your plant; remove it from the current planter and imagine the soil removed, and the roots wrapped up into a ball. This is an approximation of the current size pot. From that size, we would determine if we want to stay at that size or go up.
Repotting Tips
Many houseplant hobbyists find it much easier to work with a nested plant versus one planted directly into a decorative planter. Keeping plants in appropriately sized nursery pots promotes good drainage, easy watering, assessment and generally make working with the plant very easy. You can find decorative planters in many shapes and sizes, and using this method will allow you to style your plants in your home without worrying too much about the exact size, water spillage, coordinating saucers, and allows you to repot easily when needed.
Drainage holes are probably the biggest callout for plant containers - if a pot or planter doesn’t have adequate drainage, you do have an increased chance of running into overwatering complications sooner or later. This is another benefit to choosing to nest your plant in a decorative pot - nursery pots have excellent drainage and make watering a breeze. You can also drill out a drainage hole into ceramic planters, mugs, bowls (or anything really) if they don’t have already have one!
Wanna drill a drainage hole? Or let us do it! Any team member can help with that in the Plant Lab!
When repotting, try not to damage the roots too much. You can gently loosen the root ball and check to see if you can remove old, dead, or damaged roots and remove some of the old soil. An old paintbrush or chopstick can be good tools for this.
Place the plant in the new pot, either centered or placed to accommodate poles/stakes, and fill the new empty space with soil. It’s also a good idea to check the height of the plant in the new container - try not to bury it too deep or leave roots exposed at the top.
Use a well-draining potting mix that is specifically designed for houseplants. Avoid using garden soil, as it can be too heavy and become waterlogged easily. Your plant might have a preference for the substrate ( as mentioned in our watering discussion) for something that stays wet or dries out more quickly - repotting is a good time to change the soil out to perform more appropriately!
Some plants, such as cacti and succulents, go dormant during the winter months. Try your best to avoid repotting these plants during this dormant period, as they are more susceptible to stress.
After repotting, we like to recommend watering the plant in. This will help the roots to establish themselves in the new pot by further distributing the soil. If your plant was recently watered before deciding to repot, it might be a good idea to wait a little bit longer to reduce chances of shock and overwatering.
We are also available as a resource to our plant parents who might need a second set of eyes on a plant to check if it’s time to repot. We’ll be sure to explain what we see, and help you better understand how to take care of your plant during repotting and can even supervise or assist in the Plant Lab!
