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.
A potted plant should be root-pruned whenever the plant's roots grow to the extent that they entirely fill the pot and begin to circle around the inside surface, or if the roots visibly escape through drainage holes.
If done properly, root pruning can improve the plant's growth and overall health. This is especially true with container plants that can become “pot-bound,” with the roots girdling around the inside of the pot. This also means those roots can't take up enough nutrients and water to support the plant.
Avoid cutting any taproot, corm, or bulb your plant has, or the plant will die. Cutting through the outer roots growing in a circular pattern will keep the plant from strangling itself as it grows. Take time to evaluate the health of the roots.
Plants are quite resilient to a lot of things, and they're designed to grow. Sure, they probably have a bit of a panic after the actual cutting, but they'll get over it and work on regrowing those roots. You might find that any above the ground growing (leaves etc) may be compromised/stop entirely) after a root trim.
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.
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.
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.
Don't remove more than 1/3 of anchoring roots.
If you must remove some, don't remove over 1/3 of all anchoring roots. Check the base of the tree trunk for root flare. You may have to remove some soil, vines, and grass. You should see some bulges at the trunk's base.
African violets (shown) and the related cape primrose do well when kept root bound, as do peace lilies, sansevieria, spider plants and ficus. In fact spider plants and sansevieria can continue to thrive even until their steel-like roots break the container in which they're grown.
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.
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.
That soak you did a day or two earlier will have helped soften and loosen roots to make this whole part of the process much easier with less root damage caused. Sometimes you just have to get rough with those roots, and may break off or damage a few roots in the process. That's where step 4 (recovery) comes in.
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.
Trees provided with regular irrigation through the first growing season after transplanting require approximately 3 months (hardiness zones 9-11), 6 months (hardiness zones 7-8), or one year or more (hardiness zones 2-6) per inch of trunk diameter to fully establish roots in the landscape soil.
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.
However, repotting can be a somewhat traumatic experience for plants, and some are more sensitive to this disruption than others. The journey from the garden center to your home is quite an adjustment for your plants, and they should be given a little time to rest before repotting.
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.
Plants can get stressed, just like us. Whether it happens overnight after being repotted in your cute new pot or over the course of several days after their environment drastically changes, they are great at communicating their stress with us.
Root pruning has long been used in nursery tree production and to control vigour and cropping in fruit trees. Despite the anecdotal evidence that pruning can encourage root growth and can be particularly useful in remediating the consequences of root circling, gardeners are often reluctant to cut and prune roots.
If there is no green anywhere in the stems, roots can still be checked. Carefully dig the plant from the soil and look for roots that are light, supple, and have little to no scent. Dead roots will either be mushy and smelly or dry and brittle.
Other indicators of a pot-bound plant include roots growing out of the pot's bottom drainage hole, as well as water that pools on the soil's surface. Roots that encircle the pot prevent the absorption of water. Leaf drop, failure to thrive, and lack of new growth are also indicators that it's time to repot your plant.