First, pick a bigger pot.
The plant has started to outgrow its existing container, which is the major reason for repotting. Giving the roots lots of space will allow them to support the lovely portion of the plant that you get to appreciate. Make sure the new pot is deeper as well as wider. Depending on size, we advise giving the plant at least an additional inch.
Make sure your new pot includes drainage holes, as a pro tip. Otherwise, it’s possible that your plant will be sitting in water and rot.
Advice: Soak your terra cotta pot in advance if you decide to use one. Because terra cotta absorbs moisture, you don’t want it to cause the plant to get dry.
Add a base layer of dirt before putting the new plant inside so the roots have more room to expand. Add just enough to give your plant room to grow without overflowing the top.
Thoroughly hydrate it before repotting. This will keep the rootball together and keep the plant healthy.
Turn the plant upside-down and place your palm over the top of the container rather than removing it. To loosen the plant and let it fall out, rotate it a few inches in both directions. The plant and pot can be separated with the use of a knife.
Older roots can be pruned to help the plant thrive in its new container. Take away any roots that are protruding from the rootball’s center. Untangle them so that they develop externally rather than inwardly now that you are only dealing with the new, healthy roots.
Before pressing it firmly into its new home and adding soil, make sure the plant is centered and erect. Water it to help the soil settle once you’ve patted it down.
Remember to put your plant in a stylish basket of your choice! Perfect for celebrations, festivals, or adding a beautiful touch to almost any room.
Make sure you continue to give your plant the correct care now that it is in a pot. Below are some suggestions for the initial weeks following repotting. Once this time is over, resume your previous level of care for them.
Drink plenty of water. As it adjusts, your plant will want a little additional water. The roots can start to expand and require the additional moisture.
Repotting of outdoor plants is necessary?
Most healthy outside plants eventually outgrow their containers. They need to be repotted after that or else their health will suffer.
When you notice roots matted close to the soil’s surface or sticking out of the pot’s drainage holes, it’s time to repot your container plants. Additionally, you can see poor flowering, growth that is stifled, or soil that dries out too rapidly after irrigation. Your plants may occasionally appear to be top-heavy or about to spill out of their containers.
Repotting your outdoor container plants is fortunately a quick and easy gardening operation, especially with our detailed step-by-step instructions.
After repotting, should you water your outside plants?
- A day or two before you intend to re-pot your plant, give it a good soak. This will lessen the chance of shock and make it easier to remove your plant from its pot. It will also keep it well-hydrated.
- Remove the plant’s pot gently. You might need to tip the pot on its side or ask a buddy to hold it while you grab the plant, depending on its size and how much it is root-bound. Slide a butter knife along the pot’s edge to loosen roots for plants with dense root systems.
- Loosen the root ball slowly. Shake off any extra soil being careful not to bruise the delicate roots. Sharp shears should be used to prune off any brown, black, or obviously injured roots. Trim up to 2/3 of the root mass beginning at the bottom and edges of the plant if you have plants that are heavily root-bound or if you only intend to repot them without potting them up into a larger planter.
- If merely repotting, remove all of the soil from the pot and rinse it with hot water to remove any sediment. When choosing a new pot for your plant, make sure it is clean and no more than two diameters larger than its previous container. Too much room might cause root rot and poor growth.
- We advise adding a.5 layer of activated charcoal to the bottom of your pot if you are potting into a container without drainage. To increase drainage, some people advise placing a layer of stones at the bottom of any pot; however, it’s uncertain whether this is effective, thus pebbles are not included as long as the pot has drainage. After that, add some fresh potting soil to the bottom of the pot so that the plant’s base will be about.5 inches below the rim.
- Place your plant in the fresh container, then fill it with dirt and air until all the roots are covered. While carefully compacting the dirt to remove any air pockets, be careful not to damage the fragile roots. Lightly water the new soil to keep it moist but not drenched.
Plants frequently go through a shock period after repotting or potting up. It’s normal, so don’t worry! Although plants may seem thirsty and wilted, wait to water them for approximately a week after repotting to make sure any roots harmed during the process have recovered. Plants should be located in a cooler, more shaded area while they are recovering.
Fertilizer is usually present in potting soil. You can wait around 6 weeks after re-potting before fertilizing to avoid over-fertilizing and harming your plant.
Nutrient Boost from Fresh Soil Most of the nutrients in the soil are absorbed by your houseplant. The soil loses more and more of its fertility over time. After a few successful growing seasons, you could notice that your plant starts to act generally “unhappy” or starts to grow little, oddly colored leaves. Repotting (or potting up) with new soil gives your plant the nutrient boost it needs to thrive, even if you fertilize frequently.
Improved Watering Have you ever noticed that when you water, it seems to seep out of the pot’s bottom right away? Your plant is probably root bound, a condition in which the plant desperately needs more room and the roots have wrapped themselves around the pot’s outside. This makes channels for the water to flow through, which is why it is exceedingly challenging to actually water a root-bound plant. Repotting will help your plant access the water it requires to keep its thirst quenched and leaves lush by clearing these roots from obstruction.
New Growth = breathing room!
Even indoor plants enjoy a little breathing room. To encourage fresh development is another motivation to release plants from their root restrictions. Repotting a plant can result in a remarkable and bountiful recovery. Your plant will be happier and grow more quickly if it has a robust, expanding root system.
Health Promotion Have you ever overwatered a plant? Not to worry. All of us do. Root decay is the problem. Overwatering damages roots, which turn dark brown or black as a result. In this condition, they are prone to illness and unable to absorb water (which is why an over-watered plant can sometimes seem thirsty). Cutting off these damaged roots is your best line of protection against fungus and disease and aids in a plant’s recovery from excessive watering.
Plant babies: Divide and conquer! Many plants can be divided to create new plants when they get overcrowded. It is best to take advantage of re-potting time to divide pups and offshoots into independent plants.
Reminder: Delay repotting if your plant is stressed! For instance, if the plant is wilting from thirst, it is advisable to bathe it and let it recover before repotting. Similar to how excessive weather, such heat waves, can create stress, try to avoid repotting during those times.
How frequently should outdoor plants be repotted?
Some large plants aren’t too difficult to repot, while others are. Especially if the plant is heavy, I frequently ask for assistance.
Having someone hold the plant steady and then hold it in place while you fill the pot with soil makes a difference. As they grow bigger, landscaping plants can weigh quite a bit. To pry the rootball free from the pot, you might need a shovel and/or a pruning saw.
I tied up the long leaves of each trunk when I repotted my huge Ponytail Palm to keep them out of the way. This made it simpler for me to insert the drench diggers shovel and loosen the rootball. The procedure is depicted in the video.
In approximately a month, I’ll be transplanting my Dracaena Lisa. It has 4 canes and is about 7 tall. Despite being big, it only takes up a 10 pot and isn’t very heavy. In order to prevent it from getting in the way or from breaking any of the leaves, I’ll probably wrap the lower growth in a sheet or tie it up in some other way.
Reasons for Repotting Plants
Repotting plants is done for a variety of reasons. These will offer you some ideas to mull on so you can decide when to repotter.
The roots are protruding from the pot’s bottom, so we’ll start with the obvious. A few are fine, but when a sizable quantity does, repotting is required. The rootball may occasionally be seen breaking away from the pot’s sidewalls. Most plants require space for those roots to expand.
The soil mixture is out of date. The soil needs to be refreshed because the plant has been in the container for a long. I’ve performed this several times: remove the plant, shake, or “Remove as much of the old mixture as you can, then add the new mixture and fill in.
At the top, the roots are measurably visible. Just top dress with new soil if the soil is only down to a 1/21 depth. Phalaenopsis orchids are one example since they develop with their top roots exposed.
The plant has received too much water. To adequately dry out in this instance, fresh soil might be required. It will occasionally recover and occasionally it won’t.
The roots have split the pot, which is uncommon (save in my experience with snake plants and cast iron plants).
It should be planted right into a pretty container. I do this with several of my indoor plants, like succulents and snake plants, as well as some of my outdoor plants.
The soil is seriously infected, and you are powerless to control it. For ants or mealybugs at the roots, you might need to do this.
It should be clear that the plant and pot have fallen. Since the root system was fragile when I purchased it, my money tree fell out of its pot and I had to repot it. After several months, it is now recovering!
The plant needs a larger base because it is heavy. My Phildendron congo is tipping over from the weight of the leaves and stems, making it impossible for it to stand upright on its own.
The pot and the plant are out of proportion. This is the situation with my Monstera, which you could see in the beginning of the picture and in the movie. The base is too small, and the plant is developing quickly.
You wish to transfer the plant from a pot without drain holes to one with drain holes. This is why, once it has finished flowering, I will repot my succulent Hatiora.
Small pots are good for succulents and other plants with smaller root systems. The majority of other plants in small pots require more frequent watering, which might not be your thing.
You purchase the plant, but the soil doesn’t seem suitable. That is the situation with the Variegated Jade I recently purchased. The root ball is protruding by a few inches, and the soil appears to be “moldy and a little punk.
Large growers frequently utilize the same soil mixture for all of their plants. You’ve undoubtedly figured out by now that some plants require soil that is more suited to their requirements because the mix they’re in right now isn’t the best for their optimum growth.
Do your study before repotting and keep in mind that certain plants prefer to grow a little more compactly in their pots.
Questions About Repotting Plants
Most of the time, no. The only exceptions would be if the roots were seriously harmed during the operation or if the plant was planted over or submerged.
It varies. Some plants can grow tightly in their containers while others grow slowly. Plants that develop quickly will require repotting sooner. For an explanation, see the reasons mentioned above.
I work as much of it as I can with my hands to knead smaller or more delicate root balls. Landscape plants tend to have more compact root systems, making it challenging to remove the soil. I’ve made an attempt using the flat side of a shovel or trowel. I occasionally only succeeded in removing the top layer of soil.
This tiny Dracaena Lemon Twist plant in a pot of four is flourishing. Already emerging from the bottom is a sizable root. It will be inserted together with a few additional dracaenas into a small porcelain basin.
If your plant appears stressed, as my spider plant does, that’s a positive sign. The plant cannot successfully absorb water and nutrients if the roots are too small and packed. The plant will begin to appear unwell and lose its usual vigor. Read the reasons again; they will give you some insight.
It depends on the plant, the pot’s size, and the surroundings in which it is growing. Some plants require repotting every two years, while others might last up to seven years.
Unless you’re particularly adept at keeping track of how much water a houseplant gets, the answer is usually yes. I’ve had my Hatiora in a ceramic pot without a drain hole for about two years, and I’m about to repot it into a pot with drain holes. It requires a larger container because it is growing and will soon be a lovely specimen. Note: Drain hole-equipped pots are essential for landscaping plants.