When houseplants outgrow their homes, it’s time to repot
When houseplants don’t grow well, or they start to look sick, it may be time to give them a new home.
A houseplant’s home is its pot. The plants may have outgrown that pot, which means it’s time to leave the starter home and move to a larger abode.
“Houseplants eventually get root-bound, when the pot is so full of roots that plants have no more space in which to grow,” writes author and gardening columnist Julie Bawden-Davis. Also, salts can build up, and that can harm plant health.
Now through summer, as houseplants actively grow, is a good time to repot them, says Bawden-Davis in her new book, “Indoor Gardening the Organic Way” (Taylor Trade Publishing, $19.95).
And though talking your plants through the move to their new home, as the author admits doing, is not standard gardening practice, the book has great ideas and techniques for repotting houseplants, whether you are an organic gardener or not. She recommends repotting when you see one or more of the following:
¢ Roots coming out the bottom of the pot, or a mass of tangled roots in the pot.
¢ Constant thirst and soil that dries out quickly.
¢ Water rushing through the pot when watering.
¢ Sluggish growth.
¢ Top-heaviness, which indicates the plant has outgrown the pot.
¢ Staining on the soil surface, indicating salt buildup.
¢ A pH reading (a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil) that’s wrong for that particular plant.
Remember: Pot size matters. “When repotting, select a pot that is no more than one pot size up, which translates to no more than two inches bigger in circumference,” she writes.
When repotting, choose a new pot that’s one size bigger than the old one.
Repotting how-to
Six steps for repotting:¢ Place a metal or plastic screen over the new pot’s drainage holes so that soil won’t leak onto floors or counters.¢ Combine organic granular fertilizer at half- or quarter-strength with soil. “Pour in water and mix well until the soil is moist but not soggy.”¢ Remove the plant from the pot. If it won’t budge, invert the pot. If that doesn’t work, run a sharp knife around the inside edge and try again. If all else fails, soak the plant in water for 20 to 30 minutes, or break the pot.¢ Gently shake the root ball to remove excess soil. If salt buildup is the reason to repot, rinse roots with water. Unwind any circling roots and cut back especially long ones. If the root mass tightly circles the ball, slice through the sides and bottom of the ball with a sharp knife.¢ Put new soil into the new pot, enough that when the plant is in the pot the soil comes up to 1/2 or 1 inch below the rim. Spread out the roots. Fill in with soil, tamping down to prevent air pockets. The soil level should end up even with the top of the root ball.¢ Water well. Wait a month before fertilizing.Source: Indoor Gardening the Organic Way