When Is the Best Time to Transplant a House Plant

Tips for Transplanting Houseplants

May 18, 2018
Share:

Gardens are great, merely non everyone has the bachelor outdoor space to establish ane. Or maybe y'all do take a garden already, but yous're looking for ways to bring some of that beautiful greenery into your home as well. In both cases, houseplants are the answer.

Houseplants are splendid means to conduct a little nature into your house. They purify the air, some of them requite off fragrances and they're merely plain fun and cheerful to look at. Not to mention, they brand swell conversation pieces.

Of course, like all skilful things, houseplants don't come without their fair share of work. You lot won't be able to rely on pelting to keep them healthy, so you'll have to develop a regular watering pattern. You may have to move them effectually your house so they can have a prissy patch of sunday to sit in. And when they inevitably grow likewise large for their pots, you'll somewhen have to transplant them into bigger pots.

If y'all've never had whatsoever experience with repotting houseplants earlier, don't worry. There'due south certainly a correct technique to it, but it'south not hard to larn. Today, we're hither to give you our best tips on how to transplant houseplants. We promise to answer any and all questions you might have on the topic, and peradventure even answer some questions y'all wouldn't have thought to ask.

Past the time you're finished reading this, you lot'll be fix to start repotting your houseplants with no fear.

Why Should You Repot Houseplants?

Before we address the all-important question of how to repot houseplants, let's spend a minute talking virtually why you should repot houseplants.

While about of the plants that are commonly kept as houseplants are smaller than the plants you'll commonly discover outdoors, that doesn't hateful they don't grow. Whether your houseplant grows at a furious rate, or whether information technology grows so slowly that you barely discover information technology, it still grows. This means eventually it will outgrow the pot it's in.

A houseplant that has overgrown its pot may begin to experience several negative consequences. The plant'due south root systems may go and then tightly cramped in the pot that they're no longer able to efficiently extract the h2o and nutrients they demand to survive from the soil. When this happens, you may start to notice that your constitute appears stunted. Older, previously good for you leaves may begin to yellowish and autumn off. This is considering the found isn't receiving the nutrients information technology needs to support the growth that acquired information technology to outgrow its pot in the first place.

When Should You Repot Houseplants?

Now that we know why it'southward important to repot houseplants, the next question is when. Is there a specific time of twelvemonth that's better than others? Or do y'all judge solely based on how overgrown the plant looks?

At that place are a few different answers to that, and yous're likely to have the best results if you combine them.

one. Repot Your Plants During the Spring

This is more of a recommendation and less of a hard-and-fast rule. Your plants will likely not exist damaged if you repot them in the autumn instead of the spring. Notwithstanding, they'll receive an extra bonus if you cull to transplant them in the jump.

This is considering spring is naturally a flavor of growth and change for plants. Roots are most active during this time of year, as they come awake from winter hibernation and brainstorm to stretch themselves out again. By repotting your plant during the spring, you lot're taking advantage of this natural growing season. You'll repot your institute merely as information technology's beginning to grow again, meaning it volition spend the entire leap growing and getting comfortable in its new pot.

2. Repot Your Plants Once a Year

Not every unmarried plant needs to be fully repotted every year. If a plant is extremely slow-growing, information technology may non need a new pot for several years. This is something that you'll have to play by ear as you watch the found grow over the years.

However, every establish could stand up to be refreshed at least once a year. This might include repotting the found into a bigger pot, or it might not. If your institute seems to be doing fine in the pot information technology'southward in at present, there'southward no need to change information technology. But information technology'due south nevertheless a skilful idea to refresh the soil with some new dirt at least once every year. While y'all're doing this, you might as well trim away whatsoever roots that wait blackened or dead.

By doing this every spring, y'all're refreshing your houseplant and giving it a jump start on the yr and the growing season, even if you aren't giving it a whole new pot.

three. Repot Your Plants When They Look Like They Demand Information technology

Your plants might not use words, simply they definitely talk to you lot. All y'all have to do is know how to listen. If you look closely and pay attending, you'll exist able to run into that they're telling you when they need to exist replanted. If you notice any of these signs, it could be your found telling you it's time for a larger pot:

Your plant is pale, straggling and seems to accept stopped growing.
The water immediately runs out the bottom of the pot without soaking into the dirt.
Long, thick roots are tightly bunched together. Note that you'll need to gently remove your institute from its pot to audit this.
The roots are sticking out the holes in the lesser of the pot or poking out through the top of the soil.
Your plant is tiptop heavy and keeps falling over.

How to Transplant Houseplants

It's time to ringlet upward your sleeves and outset planting. As y'all get started, here are a few of the tools you'll need.

A new pot, preferably with a diameter no more than than two inches larger than the old one.
Potting soil
Water
Gardening gloves, unless you don't listen getting your easily very muddied
Scissors
A knife

Once you have these tools assembled, follow these steps to repot your houseplant.

1. H2o for a Few Days Prior

You'll desire to outset by watering your institute well for the iii or four days earlier y'all repot it. Not merely volition this assistance make it easier to remove the plant from the pot when it comes time, but information technology also gets the establish nice and hydrated. This reduces the risk of shock afterward the transfer has taken identify.

2. Set up Your Space

Keep in mind that this is going to be a messy procedure. If the weather is warm plenty, you might be best off doing this outside. If that isn't an choice, however, spread out plenty of newspaper to collect all the dirt and leaves that will autumn on the ground.

3. Remove the Plant

Carefully invert the pot over your newspapers or your outdoor space. Being very gentle, grasp the institute past its main stem. Tug it slightly, and it should slip smoothly out of the pot and into your hand. If it doesn't come out easily, try using a butter knife or any other tool with a apartment blade to loosen the dirt effectually the sides of the pot. Once you lot've done this, try gently pulling it out by the stem again.

iv. Give the Rootball Some Attention

Now that you've already got the plant out in the open, it only makes sense to have this opportunity to check in with your roots and see how they're doing. Gently shake off whatsoever loose soil, being careful not to cause the roots any undue stress in the process. Using your garden shears or scissors, clip away whatever roots that are noticeably damaged or discolored. If yous're only cleaning up the found and are putting it back in the same pot information technology came from, take this opportunity to also prune off up to 25 percent of the roots.

v. Add Soil to the New Pot

Have your fresh potting soil and add together a big helping to the bottom of your new pot. Give actress attention to the drainage pigsty, packing the soil well into place around it. If you're using a pot that doesn't have a drainage pigsty, we highly encourage you lot to add half an inch of pebbles or charcoal into the very bottom of the pot, underneath the soil.

6. Transfer Your Plant

Side by side, place the constitute into the new pot, on top of the layer of fresh soil you simply added to the bottom of the pot. Make full in the sides and any other empty spaces with more potting soil, until the plant is roughly at the same level it was in the old pot. Make sure the soil is firm and packed tightly enough that at that place are no remaining air pockets, merely not and then tightly that it will harm the delicate roots. Once everything is in position, water your plant generously.

7. Trim Annihilation Broken

During the transfer process, it's possible that a few stems or leaves were cleaved or impairment. It'due south possible that this happened even before the transfer process. Either way, this is a good opportunity to give your institute a one time over and make clean upward this kind of harm. Clip off whatsoever broken stems and pinch off any expressionless leaves that you may observe. By the time you're done, your plant should be looking its best.

What to Expect After Transplanting

After you repot your plant, it's highly likely that it volition enter a menstruum of stupor. If yours does, don't panic. This is an entirely normal reaction to beingness transplanted, and information technology doesn't necessarily mean that you've washed anything wrong.

During this period of shock, your found might announced wilted. You might exist tempted to water it, thinking it merely needs a drink and so information technology'll perk up. Resist this temptation. Your houseplant needs time to adapt to its new dwelling. For the best results, wait until at least a calendar week subsequently the transplanting to h2o it. This calendar week-long recovery flow gives any roots that might have been damaged during the repotting time to heal.

While your constitute is in this recovery period, it's likewise best to leave information technology out of directly sunlight. The bright light could cause damage to your constitute while it'due south in this frail state. Instead, find a absurd, shady spot where your plant can rest and recover afterward being transplanted.

Finally, refrain from using any fertilizer for at least six weeks after repotting your houseplant. About potting soils incorporate fertilizer, and while you can e'er double check to see if the make you lot used did, it'south very likely that it did. This ways you should hold off on calculation any actress fertilizer, so you don't run the risk of over-fertilizing your newly transplanted houseplant. The roots will exist very fragile and sensitive during this period, and tin all too easily be burned by fertilizer.

Afterwards a recovery period of anywhere from three to iv weeks, your found should have recovered from any daze and should begin growing and thriving in its new pot.

Alternatives to Repotting

There are plenty of reasons you might not want to repot. Maybe you don't take admission to a bigger pot. Maybe you don't take space for a bigger pot or maybe you just want your houseplant to stay pocket-sized. Whatever your reason, simply pruning your plant down to size is a viable alternative to potting.

To exercise this, you'll take to gently remove your plant from its pot and prune the roots. Use a sharp pruner or a pair of pair of scissors to trim back the outer inch or two of roots in your establish'due south rootball. Repot your plant dorsum in its original pot, adding some fresh soil to the mix and watering it well.

To proceed your constitute proportional, you might as well desire to consider trimming down the top growth and so it matches the newly downsized roots. This method doesn't piece of work as well on every plant, however. For example, peace lilies, many cacti, succulents, ferns and other types of plants don't react well to this type of pruning. For the all-time results, behave further research into your found species before attempting to clip them.

Of course, if you have whatsoever houseplants that are just too big for y'all to manageably repot, your best course of action is to refresh their soil by adding a little new potting mix. To exercise this, remove the top layer of soil and refill the pot with your fresh soil mix. While this isn't exactly repotting, it might exist the best option in some cases, and it tin can still help amend the wellness of your houseplant.

Shop for All Your Transplanting Supplies Today

Planning to repot some of your houseplants shortly? With winter nearing its end and spring not far off, there's no ameliorate fourth dimension than at present. If yous're looking for exactly the correct pot to transplant your houseplant into, we know you'll find something you lot like in our selection of pots and planters. And if y'all're in the market for a new houseplant, we've got plenty of those besides. If y'all have any questions at all, don't hesitate to contact us for more data

everettwhimed.blogspot.com

Source: https://gardengoodsdirect.com/blogs/news/tips-transplanting-houseplants