sjames

Spring is the right time for repotting most houseplants. There are some houseplants that can be repotted just about anytime, however, the rules for success in repotting a houseplant will be the same no matter what time of year it is. There are several basic factors to successfully repot your houseplants and create as little shock as possible to the plant.

Know Your Plant

First of all, it’s good to know your plant; what type of soil it prefers, whether or not it likes being repotted, and the type of plant food it likes. Some plants, especially succulents and cactus, are fine for several years or more in the same pot. There are some cactus and succulents that actually need cramped potting conditions in order to flower. Other houseplants need to be repotted almost every year. Check your local bookstore, nursery, or hardware store for a good reference book that has your specific houseplants in it. There’s also good websites such as www.GardenGuides.com.

Most plants are happy with a regular feeding of the generic houseplant foods available in many stores. African Violets, Cacti, and Succulents require specialized food that is found in nurseries and some hardware stores. Feeding your houseplants the proper food is best for healthy looking plants.

Choice of Pots

There are two things to consider for your pot choice before you repot your houseplant; size and type of pot. Both are important and not all pots are the same.

Whenever you have to repot a houseplant, the new pot should not be more than two inches deeper and wider. This allows the roots to spread and keeps the plant from becoming too straggely-looking.

There are so many decorative pots on the market today, that sometimes it seems difficult to choose one. Not all pots are the same. If you live in a dry climate with little humidity, you’ll need a different pot than someone who lives in a wet, humid climate such as the South, Northeast, and Midwest.

If you live in a wet climate, then clay pots are better suited for your area. Clay pots are porous and allow the soil to “breathe” as evaporation will occur through the clay pot. This is great for your houseplants as it gets moisture from the humid air and doesn’t need all that pent-up moisture in your pot. Too much moisture can cause root rot and leave your houseplant susceptible to pests, mold, and diseases.

Plastic pots and enameled clay pots are great for houseplants in dry climates such as the Southwest, and West. These pots don’t “breathe” as they are not porous. They hold the water better and will give your indoor houseplants more moisture which they don’t get from dry air conditions. You can use the regular green or black plastic pots you get from the nursery and then place this pot inside a decorative pot holder. Pot holders do not have any holes in the bottom of the pot for drainage; they’re just a nice decorative touch for your home.

Tip: When watering houseplants, water thoroughly letting the excess water drain through the bottom of the pot. Let the plant sit in this excess water for just one hour so the roots can soak up what they need. Always empty out any excess water after one hour to prevent root rot.

Soil Choices

If your plant does need to be repotted, you need to know what kind of soil your plant prefers. Most houseplants accept the generic potting soils on the market today, however, there are some plants such as African Violets, Cactus, and Succulents that need a special soil which is available in nurseries, hardware, and department stores that sell plants. Repotting your houseplant in the correct soil will make your houseplant happy, live longer, and look healthy.

Some potting soils have plant food mixed in with the soil, while others don’t. Both are just fine for repotting houseplants, but if you purchase the soil with the plant food, you’ll need to read the directions and not feed your plant until the required time stated in the directions, otherwise, you could overfeed your houseplant and cause root damage.

Water the houseplants that you’re going to repot about an hour before repotting them. This will help the plants from shock.

Tip: Never use soil from your yard. Yard soil may contain pests and bacteria that will thrive indoors and damage, if not kill, your houseplants. Commercial potting soils are free from pests and bacteria.

Tools You’ll Need

Now it’s time to get ready to repot the plant. If it’s a nice day with temps above 50 degrees, you can repot your houseplant outside and there’ll be less mess to clean up afterwards. Otherwise, the best way to repot your houseplants is to place newspaper down on the floor and have all your items on the newspaper; the new pot, potting soil, watering can, and old fork, hand spade, garden gloves if you use them, and plant food if it’s not in the soil.

You’ll also need some small rocks or pebbles that you can purchase from a store. These purchased rocks are already cleaned and free of bacteria. They will be placed in the bottom of the new pot to allow drainage for your houseplant. An inch of these small rocks or pebbles is advised. You can also use styrofoam “popcorn” instead of the rocks. Styrofoam is lighter in weight and will not harm your houseplants. Many gardeners keep styrofoam handy for this type of use. It’s inexpensive and most of us have it readily available from purchasing appliances, etc. Just break up the styrofoam into small pieces and layer an inch or so in the bottom of the pot.

Tip: Never use rocks from your yard as they may contain pest larvae and bacteria. Purchase rocks from your nursery or hardware store.

Repotting

Place the styrofoam pieces or rocks in the bottom of the new pot covering most of the bottom of the pot. Allow one inch of these materials for drainage. Add the new soil to the pot and fill the pot about one-third.

Using your hand spade or fork, tap the sides of the pot your houseplant is in. This will help loosen the soil around the edges. Place the fingers of one hand over the soil surface with the trunk of the plant between your fingers, and invert the pot. Slip the pot off gently with your other hand. If the pot does not come off, slide a knife between the soil and the edge of the pot to gently loosen. Tap the pot again, and gently remove the pot from the plant.

Using the old fork, gently loosen any potbound roots so that they will spread more easily in the new pot. Place the plant in the new pot and add more soil around the sides and top of plant. Press the soil down firmly with your thumbs and add more soil if needed.

This is the time to feed your plant and help ease the shock. If your new soil has plant food in it, just water the plant. If it doesn’t have plant food, then feed your plant.

Place your newly potted houseplant away from direct sunlight for a few days to let it rest. After several days, place the houseplant back in its normal growing spot.