And then, should I let the roots dry for a few days before potting the plant in a better-draining medium? Yes -- always, always, always wash as much of the old mix out of the roots as you can before repotting in fresh, dry mix. Some roots are bound to be torn off in the process, but it's unavoidable.
Make sure the plant is well watered 2-4 days in advance. You don't want to repot when it's sopping wet but being too dry will cause stress. Take the plant out of the pot. If the rootball is a bit tight, gently massage the roots to loosen them up.
These could include a composted soil or peat mixture with fertilizers to supply nutrients. A peat-based potting mix will weigh less than a soil-based mix; however, it is more difficult to wet if it dries out. Wet the potting mix prior to repotting houseplants to ensure that the potting mix will absorb water evenly.
It is important that a plant's roots never dry out. For this reason, many people have been afraid of correcting the root bundle before planting. While a plant's roots certainly can dry out while being loosened, this is not a reason not to correct a poor root bundle.
Water the garden plants to be dug and/or transplanted the day before you plan to lift them. This ensures that the whole plant will be thoroughly moist when it's time to transplant. Make it a good, deep soaking so the roots can take up as much water as possible. Moist soil will also make it easier for you to dig.
The idea is to soak the plant for several minutes in water prior to planting. When you plant, fill up a large bucket with water–preferably rainwater since it does not have any of the chlorine or other chemicals of municipal water. Take the plant out of its pot and gently pull any encircled roots away from the plants.
Rooting will generally occur in 3-4 weeks but some plants will take longer. When the roots are 1-2 inches long or longer the cutting is ready to be potted up. This plant has heavy rooting and is ready to be moved to a pot with potting soil.
A plant ready for repotting should slide out with the soil in one piece. If much of the soil falls free of the roots, the plant may not need repotting. If it does, there will likely be a solid soil-and-root mass in the shape of the just-removed pot. Roots should be white or light-colored.
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.
Water heavily, drench them, right after you repot. The water on the surface will evaporate relatively quickly, but moisture will still be trapped in the deeper soil... so that's where the roots will do. You'll be encouraging deep, healthy roots that anchor the plant AND provide it more access to water and nutrients.
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. Place back in its previous environment. Changing location and soil simultaneously can lead to plant shock.
Allow for Good Soil Drainage
For container plants, potting soil should be used and pots must have drainage holes. Any saucers below houseplants should be emptied regularly and plants need to be potted in appropriately sized, not oversized, containers to avoid an excess of moisture in the soil.
It is not possible to reverse root rot. The treatment of this disease involves removing the affected portions of the plant. Once the rotting or dying parts have been removed, they can then be repotted in fresh soil to give the remaining healthy roots a fresh start.
Repot with new soil.
Fresh soil will help guarantee that any bacteria or fungus that might have formed will be mostly removed. It'll also supply nutrients that may have been depleted in the old soil and help the plant recover. Keep in mind that the plant is likely already stressed and vulnerable due to root rot.
Remove about one-third or more of the old potting mix surrounding the plant's roots. As it grew, your plant removed some or all of the nutrients in the current mix, so you'll want to give it fresh potting mix or soil. Pour a layer of fresh potting soil into the empty planter and pack it down, removing any air pockets.
Maybe the pot is too small for it. Perhaps the soil needs to be changed. There might be a pest or disease problem. Plants need water; If they don't have enough water, they can't take up nutrients from their soil, which means they'll wilt and become sick.
A plant which is newly dug up and shifted to another place may show signs of wilting leaves, dying branches or it might die altogether. It is called transplant shock. The transplant shock is caused by harm to the plant roots during the transplanting process.
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.
Roots that appear brown, black, soft or rotted indicate an unhealthy plant. A rotting, foul odor may also be present. The problem could have developed due to any of the following: Over or under-watering.
Be patient: If you treat your tree well, the tree should recover from shock and establish itself. It can take up to 3 years for a tree with transplant shock to fully recover.
Symptom. Leaf scorch is a common symptom of transplant shock. Leaf scorch first appears as a yellowing or bronzing of tissue between the veins or along the margins of leaves of deciduous plants (those that lose their leaves in winter). Later, the discolored tissue dries out and turns brown.
Many people think that they should leave both burlap and wire in place when they plant a tree, but this is wrong. Leaving these materials wrapped around your tree's rootball will damage roots and can kill your tree.