FAQ: When and how should I repot my plants?

Photo by @olyamerkusheva

You’ve been coddling your little plant baby along. You’ve been misting, fertilizing and watering it the perfect amount and it’s doing really well - it grew three inches over the summer! Is it time to repot? Read on!

Just because your plant is bigger above ground doesn’t mean it’s grown as much below ground. Take a look at the drainage holes – are there lots of roots growing out of them? Look in between the soil and the inside of the pot – do you see lots of roots there and are they starting to wrap around the inside of the pot? These are both indicators that your plant is ready for a larger pot.

The rule of thumb is to size up by two inches for example moving your plant from a 4 inch diameter pot to a 6 inch pot. Large enough to give your plant more space while still providing support. We always recommend potting into something with drainage holes to lessen the chance of overwatering.

Next, choose your soil: Cacti, succulents and Sansevieria all want a cactus mix. Tropical soil is good for most tropical plants unless they like their soil to be kept evenly moist in which case indoor potting soil is the best bet for you.

To Repot:

• Gently remove your plant from its old grow pot.
• Place it in its new pot so you can see how much new soil will need to be added so the base of your plant (not the base of the roots) is about half an inch from the top of its new pot.
• Remove the plant from the pot and add your soil.
• Replace the plant in the new pot.
• Now start tucking new soil in between the plant’s root ball and the side of the pot ensuring you’re compacting the soil a bit.
• Do this until the new soil has reached the same level as the old soil surrounding your plant.
• As you water your newly repotted plant the soil will settle and you may need to add a little extra on top.

Your plant should be content in its new pot for at least a year before needing to be sized up again. We sell all the materials you need for a successful repotting or if you don’t have the time, check out our Repotting Services here.