Repot a Plant

Repotting a plant can seem like a difficult task because a lot of things can go wrong – you can damage the plant by removing it incorrectly from its old pot or fail to repot it correctly and therefore cause the plant to die. Knowing how to prepare a new pot, remove the plant from its old pot, and prepare the plant for its new pot can make repotting a plant a lot easier.

Steps

Preparing the New Pot

  1. Choose a slightly larger pot. If you’re repotting your plant into a new pot, choose a pot that is 1 to 2 inches larger in diameter and 1 to 2 inches deeper than the plant’s current pot.
    • If you choose a pot that has dimensions larger than this, the roots will need to grow into the pot before the plant itself can begin to grow. In other words, the plant has to grow all the way down before it can grow upward.[1]
  2. Choose a pot with drainage holes. When you’re selecting a new pot, make sure it has drainage holes to allow excess water to drain. Even if you select a pot that is the correct size, you still don’t want water sitting in the bottom of it and causing root rot.[1]
  3. Soak the new pot. If you decide to use a terra cotta pot for repotting, make sure you soak the pot in water for a few hours before you begin the repotting process. Terra cotta is pretty porous, which means it soaks up water easily. You don’t want your pot stealing your plant’s water.[1]
  4. Cover the drainage holes. It’s important to have a pot with drainage holes, but you also want to make sure soil can’t escape through them. Cover the drainage holes with something that will allow water to pass through, like paper towel or a coffee filter.
    • Using a porous material like paper towel or a coffee filter over the drainage holes will allow water to pass through so your plant doesn't drown, but it slows down the process so the water can actually soak into the soil and help your plant.[2]
  5. Put a few inches of soil in the new pot. You’ll need a base of soil under the plant so the roots have something to grow into.
    • Don’t overfill the pot before you put the new plant in – the roots need something to grow into, but you also want them to be down far enough into the pot that they don’t stick out of the top.[3]

Preparing the Plant

  1. Water the plant. Your plant will come out of its old pot more easily if the rootball is moist. You’ll want to water the plant a few hours before you want to repot it. This will help it maintain its health even if it loses a root or two during the repotting.[4]
    • The rootball is the part of the plant that extends into the actual pot. It’s made up of roots and soil and often keeps the shape of the pot after it’s removed[5]
  2. Remove the plant from its current pot. Place your hand over the top of the pot, and place your thumb and index finger around the plant’s stem. Then turn the pot on its side and gently work the plant back and forth until it comes out.[2]
    • If the plant won’t come out after several tries, you can use a knife to cut around the edge of the soil and try again.[2]
    • If you happen to break some of the roots, don't worry, you’ll need to prune the rootball anyway.
  3. Prune the rootball. To make sure your plant takes to its new pot, you’ll want to remove some of the old rootball to expose fresher roots to the new soil in the new pot. Clip off roots that hang below the rootball and make three or four slits in the bottom of the rootball about a third of the way up.[6]
    • If the rootball is black or smells, your plant might have some kind of fungal disease. You might not be able to save this plant or repot it.
    • You can also shave away roots that seem particularly thick on the sides of the rootball.[7]
  4. Untangle the remaining roots. Once you prune the rootball and have exposed the healthy roots, untangle some of the roots that are left over. This gives the roots more contact with the new soil in the new pot. It encourages the roots to grow outward, instead of around the rootball.[6]

Repotting the Plant

  1. Place plant in new pot. As you place the plant into its new pot, center it by looking down on it from above and making sure it’s not closer to any one side of the pot than the others. You also want to make sure it’s sitting upright. While looking at the plant from the side, spin the pot and make sure the plant isn’t tilted in any one direction.[4]
  2. Fill the pot with soil. Once you’ve placed the plant in the new pot, you’ll want to put soil into the pot around the rootball. Don’t overfill the pot - the soil line should be about 1” below the top of the pot.[2]
    • You can “stuff” or “fill” when you’re adding new soil. “Filling” just means pouring soil in, around, and on top of the rootball. “Stuffing” means pouring the soil in and then pressing it down. You might want to “stuff” the pot for a top-heavy plant, because it will help you keep the plant steady and even.
  3. Water the plant. Once your plant is in its new pot and you’ve filled the pot with soil, water the plant. It will help the plant’s roots soak up the nutrients from the soil and ensure that the plant takes to the new pot.
    • You might need to add more soil to fill in empty spots once you water the new plant and the soil settles.[4]



Tips

  • If you’re repotting in the same pot, make sure you clean the pot with hot soapy water to get rid of any bacteria before you follow the rest of the steps above.
  • You can tell that your plant needs repotting if the roots are growing through the top of the soil or out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. If you don't see any roots but your plant seems like it has stopped growing, it's probably root bound, which means it definitely needs repotting to allow the roots more room to grow.
  • Young plants that are still growing should be repotted once a year to maintain their growth and overall health. Larger plants should be repotted every two years or so.

Warnings

  • Don't cut away healthy roots unless you are pruning them so that the plant will remain the same size or be miniaturized (like for Bonsai).

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/repotting-house-plants.html
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://www.finegardening.com/how-repot-container-plants
  3. ↑ http://www.finegardening.com/how-repot-container-plants.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 https://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-repot-houseplants/
  5. ↑ http://www.weekendgardener.net/how-to/repot-rootbound-plants.htm
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.finegardening.com/how-repot-container-plants
  7. ↑ http://www.finegardening.com/how-repot-container-plants
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