The Ins and Outs of Repotting — Learning a Necessary Skill
You’ve had your plant for a while now, and it’s growing well—so much so, that you’re thinking it could be repotted into a larger planter. Repotting is an essential skill that all indoor (and outdoor!) gardeners should know how to do.
Every plant will eventually need repotted into a bigger container, but when do you know it’s the right time to do so? How do you go about it? What size planter is appropriate to repot into? These are all great questions to ask while getting ready to repot, and we’re here to help you figure out the answers!
When to Repot
The best time to repot your plant into a larger planter will be when your plant is actively growing, which typically happens in the spring and summer months. When thinking about repotting, there a couple key things to look for that would indicate it’s a good time to replant.
If your planter has a drainage hole, flip it over and inspect that—if you find roots growing out the bottom of the drainage hole, your plant is ready to be repotted! Similarly, if you try to insert your finger into the soil your plant is in, and you find it difficult to move your finger around, that likely means your plant is starting to get root-bound and would love to have more space to grow to its full potential.
This being said, if you don’t notice these signs, and your plant is pushing out new growth at its normal speed, it will not need repotted. Changing a plant’s home and soil does cause stress for the plant, so it’s best to only repot as needed.
The concentration and entanglement of the roots of this Monstera shows that it could use repotted.
Planter Size
When repotting your plant and selecting a new planter for it to live in, you’ll only want to upsize about two inches larger in diameter and depth than the current planter it’s in. Selecting a planter that is only a little bit larger will ensure that your plant isn’t sitting in too wet of soil for too long, which can lead to root rot if the soil isn’t drying out quickly enough between waterings.
For larger plants (8”+ diameter planters), we always recommend selecting a planter with a drainage hole at the bottom to allow water to drain from. Letting water drain out the planter significantly decreases the chance of overwatering your plants—with a drainage hole, overwatering becomes much more about the frequency of watering, rather than the amount of water given at one time.
When selecting your planters, the material they’re made out is also a consideration. Fortunately, we have an entire article dedicated to the different materials planters can be made out of, along with which plants pair best with them.
The current size of this Monstera’s nursery planter is 6” wide.
This planter is 8” wide, making it the perfect choice to repot the Monstera into.
How to Repot
Repotting a plant can seem a little intimidating at first, but it quickly becomes secondhand nature once you’ve done a few yourself. Following this guide step-by-step will give you a good know-how to feel more confident in your repotting abilities.
Loosen the soil surrounding your plant. This can be done by squeezing the nursery planter with your hands—this will loosen the soil and some roots, allowing you to pull your plant out with relative ease.
Once your plant is out of the nursery container, use the fingers and palms of your hand to gently massage the old soil off of the plant, untangling the roots. Some slight root damage is nearly unavoidable here, but that’s okay!
In your plant’s new container, fill it up just a little less than halfway with fresh potting mix. Take your plant, and set it in the new planter. If the base of your plant is lining up with the top of the planter, you’re in the clear—if it’s either too high or too low in the new planter, adjust the amount of potting mix you’ve put in already accordingly.
Take more fresh potting soil and fill in the sides of the new planter evenly and thoroughly until the soil lines up with where your plant is sitting.
Use your hands and pack that soil down firmly, getting your plant nice and situated in its new home. Add more soil as needed once you’ve packed it down. Make sure the soil covers all of the roots and that your plant is sitting where you want it.
Dust your plant off with a brush (or your hands), and with that, you’ve successfully repotted your plant!
Repotting a plant, much like other aspects of plant care, is a skill and takes time to develop. If your first try doesn’t quite turn out as you were expecting, keep at it. It might take a few attempts to get it down to a science, but you’ll soon be repotting plants left and right.
If you have any further questions on any and all aspects of repotting, drop a comment below, or stop into one of our shops to chat with us!
Written by: Egan Thorne
Photos by: Sebastian Muñoz