Have You Been Wondering How to Repot a Houseplant?

Have you ever wondered WHEN and HOW to repot a houseplant? It is a necessary part of being a plant parent, and thankfully not as intimidating as it seems. Even if you have never repotted a plant, I promise you can do this! 

Many houseplants can live long, healthy lives if they are well cared for. Even though they are not able to talk, our plants certainly show signs that it is time for some maintenance.

What signs of distress should I look for?

What supplies do I need?

How do I do it without killing my plant?

This post will cover all the basics about how to recognize signs of distress and successfully repot a houseplant.

5 Signs Your Plant Would Like a Refresh:

1. The dreaded…GAP OF DEATH! What is this alarming-sounding indicator? I first heard this phrase describing the space between the soil and the pot from Mandi @happyhappyhouseplant and I think it’s the perfect description. (She’s great BTW and has a wealth of knowledge about plants!) It is when the potting mix becomes hydrophobic, meaning it is so incredibly dry that it repels water. While all of this sounds terrifying, thankfully it is easy to spot and fairly simple to fix.Tip: You can try soaking your plant (pot and all) in a container filled with water for 20-30 minutes. This helps rehydrate your plant and you may not need to repot…yet!

   

2. You spot a case of UNRULY ROOTS. Plant roots are pretty amazing, and can offer helpful hints indicating what our plants need to thrive. If the roots are coming out of the holes in the bottom of the pot, or circling around the pot, they are searching for more nutrients. We can help them out with a larger pot and fresh potting mix!

   

3. Your plant friend has sad, LETHARGIC LEAVES. Even after watering, the leaves are still droopy. In addition, the leaves may turn yellow or start falling off at an alarming rate! Think of this as your plant begging for help “FOR THE LOVE, PLEASE REPOT ME”.     
4. If you can’t remember the last time you repotted your plant (or you know you’ve never done it) then, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER! While young plants generally need to be repotted more frequently than larger, more established houseplants, it is a good idea to give everyone a refresh at least every couple of years.
5. Finally, when all else has failed and your plant is still on the STRUGGLE BUS, try repotting. If it is already looking sad, then what can it hurt to try?!?

How Do I Actually Repot a Houseplant?

First, choose a pot one size larger than the current plant pot. Typically, they come in 2-inch increments. For example, if your plant is currently in a 6-inch pot, you would want to go up to an 8-inch pot. This is a general guideline, so don’t worry if you don’t have a pot exactly 2 inches larger. I typically use plastic grow pots that I’ve saved from previous plant purchases. It pays to have a good stash!

Most importantly, avoid repotting in a much larger pot, as the plant can easily become waterlogged and develop root rot. No one wants that.

If you are in need of a new pot, I love this set of 5 pots. Each one is incrementally larger than the next, taking out the guesswork! It is also a rare find that looks good AND is lightweight.

Here are some of my favorite, most-used plant supplies.

While I am a fan of using “filler” in my large pots outside, I do NOT do this for houseplants. The pots are generally much smaller than my outside containers, and I have found that using 100% potting mix helps with moisture retention, drainage, and overall health of the plant.

After you have chosen the correct size pot, you can fill it about 1/3 of the way with fresh potting mix. Is fresh potting mix the same thing as dirt from the ground outside? NO, it is absolutely not. In fact, many types of potting mix do not contain ANY dirt. Most soil or dirt is far too dense and does not have the proper nutrients for our precious plant babies.

There ARE ways you can amend the soil with perlite, coir, sand, or fertilizer. This can be difficult to complete successfully, therefore I do not recommend it. Similar to a cake mix versus making a cake from scratch. Doable, but much easier to use a pre-made mix with the correct proportions of ingredients. Any type of “all-purpose potting mix” will work great, and it takes the guesswork out of trying to mix it yourself!

If you want to level up, you can look for a potting mix specific to the type of plant you are repotting. For example, you can use a mix specifically formulated for tropical plants, cacti, or succulents.

Next, if your plant has roots circling around the outside of the root ball, you will need to loosen the roots up a bit. You may be able to use your fingers and tickle the roots until they are not tightly bound. If your plant was extremely root bound, you may need to cut into some of the roots in order to loosen them up. This should not hurt your plant, as long as you don’t cut off too many! I would not cut into more than 1/3 of the roots.

After the roots are loosened, I like to remove some of the old potting mix if possible. When it is really old and dry, it just falls right off! Don’t worry about removing all of it, we just want to give our plants as much fresh potting soil as we can.

Now we can place our plant in the new pot which we filled about 1/3 of the way with fresh potting soil. We are aiming for about 1/4 – 1/2 inch of space between the top of the root ball and the lip of the container. It is much easier to water when there is a gap! You can adjust the placement by adding or removing potting mix as needed.

Once your plant is at the right depth, you can fill in with more potting mix (leaving a little space at the top). Gently press down on the soil to eliminate any air pockets and make your plant nice and cozy in its new home.

Finally, give your plant a good shower by gently pouring water into the soil. When the water is coming out of the drainage holes, that is how you know you have given it enough.

Quick Review of How to Repot a Houseplant:

1. We notice a sign that our plant is struggling and decide it needs repotting.
2. After removing the plant from its current home, we examine the roots, loosen them up, and shake off excess soil.
3. In a slightly larger pot filled 1/3 of the way with fresh potting mix, we place our plant and fill in with more fresh soil.
4. Finally, we give our newly potted plant a good drink of water and put it back where we can enjoy it!

Learning how to repot a houseplant is a great skill that you can use repeatedly to keep your plant babies happy and healthy.