Repotting houseplants is an essential part of indoor industrial plant fear . And if you require happy , healthy , thriving plant for years to come , it ’s a step you should n’t skip out on . Repotting is done for an array of grounds , whether it ’s that the plant needs more space to grow or the slew has been damage and is n’t a worthy environment . You ’ll often find that when houseplants are ready to be repotted , they ’ll thank you for the modification . bonk when the right clip to do this , though , can be a moment crafty . To set about , repotting should always be done in spring or fallto minimize the risk of daze . From there , it all count on the plant .
Repotting houseplants and why we do it
Indoor and container gardeners repot their works for a variety of reasons related to overall health , the most common of which is to give the flora a better growing environment . Usually when repotting , you prefer a container that ’s a couple inch larger than the one it was in . This afford the beginning additional outer space to maturate into ( without drowning ) and more nutrients to absorb from the refreshful potting territory .
Whether the houseplant grows fast or slow , it will eventually outgrow its current container and it ’s important you give it an ascent to help it keep living happily . If a plant is n’t repot in time , the root word start to compact and the pot becomes very crowded , leading to nutrient deficiencies and under - watering .
Repotting is also a capital clock time to divide your plants if you startle out with more than one per container or if you have a plant ( like aloe vera ) where the pup grow from the base of the parent . You do n’t have to carve up them if you do n’t want to , so long as the newfangled container has room for them all to grow ; however , if you ’re rub to get that baby plant life in its own pot to promote strong , healthy growth , the secure time to do it is when you go to repot the parent .
The process of repotting
Before you start repot your flora , check that you have a young container , fresh potting soil , lava rock-and-roll ( or interchangeable ) if the new pot does n’t have a drain hole , and of course , your houseplant .
you could follow this step - by - step process for repot your houseplants :
How to know when plants should be repotted
There are some tell - tale signs your plant is ready to be repot , so you do n’t have to go taking it out of the container every so often to check how the roots are doing . If the container has drain maw , you may find roots are starting to grow out the bottom . Or maybe the roots are start to produce up and out of the top level of soil . Occasionally , roots may even start push the plant up and out of the pot if it ’s bugger off too crowded .
by from odd root behaviors , there are other physical signaling that your flora is in need of a larger container , including :
Not all plants will be ready at the same time
It ’s important to note that , like ecumenical flora concern , not all plants wish to be repot at the same fourth dimension . Although many prefer to have a mo more blank to grow , there are some that prefer to be a bit cramped and take root take a hop before go to a new pot .
Alocasia (likes to be root bound)
Alocasia varieties are some of the industrial plant that in reality grow better in cramped environments ; however , this does n’t think of that it can thrive with roots growing out of the soil . A plant that likes to be root stick to is one that does n’t mind the root take up a lot of outer space in the grease . Root - bound plant like alocasia are ones in which the root growing out of the top of the soil or the bottom drain are a dependable indicator for when they ’re quick for a new outer space . If you ’re ever unsure , you’re able to always take the industrial plant out of the pot to see how it ’s doing before putting it back with some fresh grease ; however , this should be a last - effort attempt as it does disturb the plant ’s surroundings .
Light needs : compass from full sun to shade , depending on varietyWater want : Water enough to keep soil moist but not soggySoil needs : Loose , well - draining potting commixture
Monstera deliciosa (likes to have space)
On the flip side , the dear monstera deliciosa flora prefers to have a small second of room to grow as it reaches freehanded sizes . Having a radical - bind ceriman could leave in wilting leaves , and since the leave of absence grow to such large sizes , it ’s likely the plant will start up falling over quite easy when it ’s ready for a raw home . Until the ceriman has reached a mature age , you ’ll find yourself wanting to repot it once a year to a larger container for optimal ontogenesis .
Light needs : shining , collateral lightWater needs : weewee regularly , allowing grime to dry out between wateringsSoil indigence : Well - draining , dampish soil
Other times you’ll consider repotting
Aside from when your industrial plant outgrow their pots , there may be other scenarios in which repotting involve to be done . In these situation , it ’s normally because something is incorrect with the grime or current environment or there ’s an issue you ’re sample to solve . For example , a plant life that does n’t like to be too moist is posture in sloppy territory and starting to pass . The best course of action here is to repot the plant in a container of the same sizing that ’s filled with fresh , juiceless grunge . This consider the plant out of the unhappy situation it was in , and return you meter to clean the old pot ( take away any traces of rot , fungus , or disease ) before invest another works in it .
You ’ll also find yourself wanting to repot plants for safe purposeswhen moving longsighted distances . To get your industrial plant safely from one billet to another , repotting them into shatterproof container is an essential step . In both of these scenario , though , you wo n’t be sizing up or size down . The new container should be the same size as the old one .
Whatever your reason for repotting , you should always take the utmost care when handling your industrial plant . Be gentle and diligent , taste not to break roots or equipment casualty leaves . As long as you do your undecomposed and research the industrial plant before go it to a new container , you ’ll be rewarded with healthy , beautiful growth .
