Fall is a fantastic time for re-potting your houseplants – especially if they did a lot of growing over spring and summer!
When Do You Know It’s Time to Transplant Plants to a Larger Pot?
As your houseplants grow larger, the roots might start to grow through the drainage holes or bind up in the pot. This is the time to repot your plants into a larger pot, to give them space to grow in a healthy way. The best time to repot a plant into a larger container is in spring because, it will set your plant up with plenty of space for the upcoming growing season but if your plant has trouble staying hydrated, you can re-pot it anytime.
How to Transplant Houseplants?
Some houseplants grow really big over time, which means they eventually need a new container. This can be a bit of a hassle; that’s exactly why we will give you some tips and tricks on smooth houseplant transplantation. If you do this correctly and use the right container size and indoor soil, it’s a great way to help your houseplants to grow beyond expectations.
What Pot Size Do You Choose for Plant Transplantation?
Before choosing a new container, it’s important to keep an eye on the speed of growth. A houseplant like a Monstera grows fast and requires a new pot that is about two to four inches larger in diameter than the current one. A slow-growing plant can use a pot that’s about one to two inches larger in diameter. This rule of thumb is a quick tool to consider the right size for your plant. This way, your plant will be stable in the new pot while the plant maintains enough space for continuous growth.
How Do You Transplant Houseplants?
● Start with filling up a quarter of the new container with Potting Soil. This mixture helps to retain moisture and minimize transplant shock. Use a blend of premium ingredients that’s disease, pest, and weed-free and thus keeps your plants healthy in their new pot. Potting soil is specifically made for indoor plants by optimizing the combination of nutrients and texture.
● First, place the old pot on its side to ease the root ball out. For bigger plants, you might need an extra pair of hands to help you out on this step.
● Place the plant in the new container filled with a bit of Potting Soil in the bottom.
● Fill the gaps around the plant with more of the Potting Soil.
● Top up the rest of the container with potting soil until it’s full.
● Add water to prevent air pockets and saturate the soil adequately.
The Right Kind of Soil for Repotting Houseplants
Using the right kind of soil is a way to prevent disease and pest problems. Choosing the right indoor soil is the first step to successful plant transplantation. These mixtures are specially combined for indoor plants and contain the right mixture of nutrients to provide indoor plants with the right moisture and nutrients for healthy growth. Indoor soil mixtures are sterilized in order to ensure that they’re not bringing any diseases, pests, or weeds. High quality soil helps to minimize transplantation shock, so your plants will continue growing in the bigger pots without a setback due to the repotting.
Fast-growing plants with aggressive root growth may need repotting once per year (monstera, bird of paradise, etc.) however plants with smaller roots (hoya, peperomia) may be able to go several years in the same pot as long as nutrition is provided via fertilizer.
