Water Well. 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.
For most tropical houseplants, if the soil is dry and due for its next watering, go ahead and water it thoroughly and let it drain completely before you begin to repot. If the soil is already wet, you can skip this step.
Step 5: Start Repotting Your Plant
After removing the old soil, lay your plant on a dry cloth and let the roots air dry. Meanwhile, pick your container and prepare your new potting soil to repot your plant.
“Water your plants a day or two ahead of time so the roots are well-hydrated to avoid root shock,” she said. “Never repot if a plant is wilted due to underwatering. First hydrate, then repot.” Plants absorb a lot of nutrients as they grow, so they need fresh soil from time to time.
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.
Moisten the soil. You should definitely water your plant a little now, but do not give it a full watering. It's best to wait at least a day since you just watered it before you repotted it.
There could be several reasons for a plant dying after replanting, including: shock from transplantation, incorrect planting depth, not enough water or too much water, pest or disease problems, or improper lighting conditions.
Repotting or transplant shock is a state of stress some plants experience after they're moved from one pot to another. It can manifest in a number of different ways, but there are a few key signs.
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.
Stop Watering the Plant
But stopping your watering is always the first step. If you're overwatering, you'll likely notice that the soil is wet, so you want to make sure that soil is bone dry before you're ready to break out the watering can again.
Some people water the soil directly after repotting, while others don't and water maybe a week after repot. I guess that some water directly after repotting so the plant can settle in and stay hydrated while it establishes itself in its new home.
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.
The telltale signs of shock are yellowing or brown wilted leaves that droop drastically. Often a stressed plant becomes very delicate and the leaves easily fall off, if touched or bumped.
Morganthaler recommends repotting the plant in a larger container or pot at this time. And be warned: You likely won't see a change for the better right away. Depending on the plant, it could take a few weeks or longer till the plant is in a better state of health.
Sugar water does not do anything to help plants with transplant shock, and it can make it worse. Often, plants recover on their own. Just give them time, keep them well-watered and protect them from too much sun to prevent more leaf scorch.
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.
If the plant itself makes up more than ⅔ of the height, it's time to repot. Not all plants grow taller; some grow fuller or longer (think trailing varieties). The same rule applies, though: Consider repotting whenever the plant seems to outgrow its home, Greene says.
Recently potted or repotted plants will not benefit from fertilizer. Their fresh potting mix is packed with nutrients they have yet to use! To avoid potentially damaging recently repotted plants, wait 2–3 months after freshly repotting before fertilizing actively growing plants during the growing season.
Transplant shock is a term that refers to a number of stresses occurring in recently transplanted trees and shrubs. It involves failure of the plant to root well, consequently the plant becomes poorly established in the landscape.
A common reason is that the potting mix has dried out and isn't absorbing the water. Most commercial potting mixes contain peat, which holds water well once it has been moistened, but -- as everyone who works with sphagnum peat outdoors knows -- is difficult to wet the first time.