Hooray! You’ve joined the craze of houseplants. You have some in the home and even at your workplace. They’ve done a wonderful job of bringing you back to nature while decorating your space beautifully. You can breathe better, sleep better and just feel better overall.
Maybe you’ve had your plants for over a year now. So, what now? A very common question for first time plant parents when moving on to the next stage of planting is: When should I repot my houseplants?
Ideally, Spring presents the great opportunity to repot houseplants that need more room to spread their roots and grow. This time of year is perfect for more daily sunlight, and rising temperatures. Your plants will instinctively react to the season change and start to grow.
So how do you know for sure it’s time to repot those houseplants? Here are a few signs to look for:
- Roots are coming out through the drainage holes at bottom of container.
- Plants are drying out quickly.
- Plants have stopped growing altogether or slowed down.
- Plants are now top heavy that they are almost falling over easily.
- You see salt or mineral build up on the plants or the containers.
- Roots are growing so thick; you see it raising the plant out of the container.
General rule of thumb is that plants usually need to be repotted every 12-18 months. So when it’s time to repot follow these tips for successful repotting:
Step 1: Water the plant the day before you plan on repotting.
Step 2: Put fingers over top of the root ball and invert the pot. Tap the pot rim on a firm surface (table or counter).
Step 3: Inspect the roots and remove the crock from the root ball's base, and tease the roots free.
Step 4: Pick a clean pot, one that is a little larger than the previous pot. It's recommended to go up a couple sizes, so your plant has room to grow.
Step 5: Then grab a handful of fresh compost, and place it firmly into the pot's base. Place the root ball on top of the compost making sure surface of root ball is below the rim.
Step 6: Once you have compost, root ball, and plant in firm position in center of pot, gently place more fresh compost around it and over it (plant). DO NOT pack tightly, make sure the fresh compost is lose around the plant to give room for growth.
Finally, be sure to leave enough room on top of final compost topping, for watering purposes. Place the plant where moisture can drain freely and trickle water onto the plant filling watering space on top. You won't want to water this plant until the compost starts showing signs of drying.
Now that you've repotted your houseplants, you can now enjoy them longer year round!