Houseplants periodically require repotting to keep them healthy and growing. But few houseplants will need repotting more frequently than once a year, and most will only need repotting once every three to five years. The use of some mineral soil in the potting helps reduce the need for frequent repotting.
If you don't repot when plants need it, you run the very real risk of plants becoming pot bound - they outgrow their existing pots. Their roots may completely fill pots, displacing the potting mix and depriving them of water and nutrients. Pot bound plants will struggle to survive.
Fall is also a good time for transplanting, but try to do it at least three to four weeks before you bring the plant indoors for the winter. You want your plant to acclimate to its new container while it's still on summer vacation. Gently remove the plant from the pot and check its roots.
The best time to repot a plant is in the spring so that actively growing roots will have enough time to grow into newly added potting mix. There are several signs that houseplants can exhibit when they are pot-bound. First check the frequency you are watering the houseplant.
Roots packed tightly in a pot don't take up nutrients efficiently. To promote good nutrient absorption, trim the roots and loosen up the root ball before replanting. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears for this job, removing as much as the bottom third of the root ball if necessary.
Water thoroughly after repotting to help the soil settle around your plant's roots. Plenty of moisture will also help your plant recover from the move better. If you have a saucer under the pot, make sure to empty it, so your plant doesn't get too soggy.
Gently place the plant on a bed of soil, then fill in the rest of the planter. Fill about one third of the new pot with fresh potting soil. “Place the plant into the center of the container, making sure the top of the root ball is about one inch below the top of the pot,” Pangborn says.
The best time of year to repot your plants is just before the new growing season. So either late winter or early spring is ideal. This will allow your plant to soak up all the nutrients from the new soil and spread out in their bigger pots just in time to look fabulous for summer.
Pot Size Is Linked to Growth
Potting up (moving a plant to a larger pot) tends to encourage it to grow faster and become larger. It's the sort of thing you do to a younger plant, sometimes more than once a year.
A: Yes, you can reuse potting soil, but only if you can guarantee it is pest- and disease-free—or if you have sterilized and amended it. While it would be economical to use potting soil already sitting in containers, doing so can transmit diseases, spread pests, and lead to a lack of nutrients.
Loosening the root ball when repotting is only essential when the plant has become completely root bound. In cases where they are not completely rootbound, you may be able to plant directly into the next pot. If the roots are not wrapped tightly around each other, there is no need to cut and disturb them.
Do not slice through the root at any point after it has begun circle the root ball. Any new roots that will emerge from that slice will continue to grow in the same circling pattern and around the planting hole. It is important to make the cut so the new roots will be facing out and will grow into the soil.
Breaking up the root ball with hands or a knife prior to setting the plant into the hole helps to encourage root growth into the surrounding soil. Failure to do so usually causes the plant to continue to be root-bound (most plants are to some degree when they are purchased in containers).
You can either go for the bath method and bottom water, or thoroughly top water. I prefer to give plants a bath (bottom water) as step one, a day or two before I repot, then I like to thoroughly top water drench after repotting, as top watering also helps flush out excess dirt and silt from the new substrate.
Your plant may be dying after repotting due to over-watering, plant shock, poor soil quality, root damage, incorrect pot size, or exposure to direct sunlight. Gradual changes and proper care can help prevent this from happening.
Transplant shock is water stress and making sure the newly planted roots can take up enough water from the first moment is essential. Lastly, be careful to repot in a temperate weather period. Don't do it when it's hot and dry or very cold for a longer period.
“Signs of stress might include the leaves starting to curl or turn yellow or the plant starting to wilt,” explains Morag Hill, co-founder of the online plant shop The Little Botanical. “These typically occur if some of the plant's basic needs are not met during the repotting process.”
If you plant a pot-bound plant into the ground or into another pot without first loosening the tangled and overgrown roots, they will continue to grow in a circle rather than reaching out into the soil to anchor the plant.
The best time to water plants is in the morning or evening.
Morning watering is actually preferable to evening watering as the plant has time to dry before the sun goes down. At night, water tends to rest in the soil, around the roots, and on the foliage, which encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.