When and How to Re-Pot by Pamela Kock

When kids outgrow their clothes, which they seem to do with alarming frequency, parents need to shop for bigger ones.  Healthy houseplants can also outgrow their pots, though thank goodness they don’t grow quite as fast as a seven-year-old kid.  Springtime is the best time to re-pot, but you should take some time to prepare first and make sure the plant really needs to move up.

The obvious reason to re-pot is because the plant has grown too large for its current container.  You should also consider re-potting if the plant’s container is unsuitable.  Are your plants still in their plastic nursery containers?  They might be fine there, but often these pots hold too little soil and a growing plant may become top-heavy and topple over easily.  If you have foliage arrangements that came in gift baskets, it’s a good idea to separate each plant into its own pot.  Why?  Roots may become entangled, making later division more difficult.  Also, the plastic liner in these baskets doesn’t provide adequate drainage, so watering can be tricky.  For your other plants, you might have discovered that a particular variety prefers a clay pot to a plastic one, or vice versa.  Maybe the current pot is too shallow, too deep, or doesn’t drain well.  Is the plant doing well in its current blend of potting soil?  Some varieties prefer heavier mixes, some lighter.  Your plant may also be a candidate for division; aloes, peace lilies, and others do well when split up into sections.

For the sake of this article, though, let’s assume that your plant has simply grown quite a bit and you think it might be time to give it a new pot.  Don’t be so quick to assume it needs to be re-potted, though.  Many plants enjoy being root-bound, so you’ll want to study your plants’ care requirements and individual preferences to find out.  Otherwise, here are some signs your plant needs to be re-potted: 

• The plant has grown top-heavy and falls over easily
• The soil dries out too quickly because there isn’t enough soil in the pot
• Roots can be seen growing out through the drainage holes
• When you remove the plant from its pot, you see that the roots have entangled into a matted ball

Choosing a Pot 

Never re-pot your plant into a container that is too large.  When there’s too much soil, it takes longer for the soil to dry out and root rot can occur, and the plant loses stability in the pot.  Choose a pot that is one inch larger in diameter than the old pot.  Don’t re-use old pots unless they are carefully washed and scrubbed Container material isn’t a big issue, but keep in mind that clay pots will allow the soil to lose moisture more quickly than plastic pots.  This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on the plant variety.  What is most important, though, is drainage.  Pots should have holes in the bottom for excess water to seep through.  Use a tray or plate under the pot to protect furniture and flooring.  Have a decorative pot that you want to use, but it doesn’t have drainage holes?  Use a pot-within-a-pot.  Choose a plain pot that fits inside the decorative pot.  Put the plant in the plain pot, throw a few small rocks into the bottom of the decorative pot to create a small space beneath the plain one for drainage, then drop the plain pot into the fancy one.  You’ll have to be careful about watering, though, since you won’t be able to see how much water drains through unless you lift the plain pot out. 

Choosing Soil 

See “Potting Soil Basics”   

The Procedure 

Are you ready to get down-and-dirty?  Re-pot when the plant’s soil is fairly dry.  Not only will this cut down on the mess, it will help the plant’s transition.  Since the soil will adhere to the roots better if it’s dry, the roots are less likely to be injured.  First, add enough fresh soil to the new pot so that the plant will stay at the same surface level, about one inch from the rim of the pot.  Hold the stem firmly in one hand.  Do not pull the plant up; turn over the pot so that the root ball slides out.  Gently loosen any roots that have gotten too compacted; some may need to be trimmed if the plant’s really overgrown.  Now put it in the new pot, and carefully fill the soil in around it.  Don’t push the soil down firmly – instead, tap the pot gently on the table to settle the soil and remove air pockets.  You may need to add more soil later, as it settles more.  When you’re done, water thoroughly. 

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