The goal is to create crevices for the extra water to pool into, away from your plant’s roots. If your planter doesn’t have a drainage hole, layer the bottom with lava rocks or similar (rocks, gravel, etc.) before adding the potting mix. Pour a layer of fresh potting soil into the empty planter and pack it down, removing any air pockets. 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. Remove about one-third or more of the old potting mix surrounding the plant's roots. If your plant is root bound-the roots are growing in very tight circles around the base of the plant-unbind the roots as best you can and give them a trim. You can prune off any threadlike roots that are extra long, just make sure to leave the thicker roots at the base of the foliage. Loosen the plant’s roots gently with your hands. You might need to give it a bit of help with a couple of gentle tugs on the base of the stems. Turn your plant sideways, hold it gently by the stems or leaves, and tap the bottom of its current vessel until the plant slides out. Remove the plant from its current planter or grow pot A potting tarp, newspaper, or surface you can easily cleanġ. A watering can, water bottle, or sink faucet Gloves, if you're handling a plant with irritating sap like a Ficus elastica or a prickly cactus Lava rocks or similar, if your planter does not have a drainage hole The planter you're potting into (if reusing a planter, make sure to give the interior a good rinse!) Your current plant or new plant, of course It's been over a year since you last repotted your plant There's noticeable salt and mineral build-up on the plant or planterĨ. The plant's foliage is more than three times the size of its current planterħ. The plant's potting mix dries out more quickly than before, requiring more frequent wateringsĦ. The plant is extremely top-heavy, and may fall over easilyĥ. The plant is growing much slower than normal (and it's not due to winter dormancy)Ĥ. Roots are pushing the plant up and almost out of the planterģ. Roots are growing through the drainage hole(s) at the bottom of the grow pot or planterĢ. Not sure if you need to repot your plants? If you see one or a combination of these signs, you'll know it's a good time to re-pot:ġ. You do not want your plant to be swimming in soil, but rather, have a little extra room to grow into during the months ahead. Small plant + oversized planter + lots of soil + lots of water = accidentally killing with kindness. If you're repotting a very small plant, your new planter might only need to be an inch larger! The size of your plant's new home is important because the larger the planter, the more water we tend to give it. When picking out a new planter, try to keep the size no more than 2" larger in diameter for tabletop planters, and no more than 4" larger in diameter for floor planters. This is great news if you love your current planter, but if you’re looking to purchase a new one, or your plant has visibly overgrown its current vessel, that’s fine, too. Repotting your plants can sound tricky, but we have a few tips to make it a success.įirst things first: repotting does not necessarily mean changing a plant’s current planter, but rather, changing its soil or potting mix.
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