How to Repot a Houseplant
Our Simple Repotting GuideHello plant people! With the summer not quite over and plenty of our green beauties still happily growing, late summer can be the perfect time to give your houseplants a little extra TLC. If you’ve noticed roots escaping from the bottom of the growing pot, soil drying out much quicker than usual or a plant that simply looks too big for its current home, it might be time for a repot. The good news is, repotting is easier than you think. Whether you are a newbie houseplant parent or your home is already full of beautiful botanicals, our simple repotting guide will help you give your plant the space it needs to keep growing happily.
Why Should You Repot Your Houseplants?
As your houseplant grows above the soil, there’s plentyย happening underneath too. Roots gradually fill the growing pot and, eventually, your plant can run out of room. Repotting gives those roots a little more space while refreshing the soil around them. Fresh compost can also provide nutrients and improve the structure of the soil, helping water and air reach the roots.
Repotting your plant:
- Gives the roots more room to grow
- Refreshes old or compacted soil
- Improves airflow around the roots
- Provide fresh nutrients
- Helps prevent your plant from becoming root bound
- Gives you the chance to check the roots and remove any unhealthy growth.
- If your plant has made it this far and needs repotting. You do also deserve some credit. So congratulations!
How Do I Know When My Houseplant Needs Repotting?
Not every houseplant needs to be repotted regularly, so have a look for a few tell-tale signs before reaching for the compost.
Your plant may be ready for a bigger pot if roots are growing through the drainage holes, growth has slowed, water runs straight through the pot or the soil is drying out much faster than it used to. You may also notice the plant becoming top-heavy or looking slightly out of proportion with its growing pot.
Sometimes a plant simply needs fresh compost rather than a much larger pot, so always take a look at the roots first.
As a general guide, many houseplants benefit from repotting around every 12โ18 months, particularly younger, faster-growing plants.
Slower-growing houseplants can happily stay in the same growing pot for much longer. Rather than repotting according to a strict schedule, keep an eye on your botanical and let it tell you when it needs a little more room.
Spring and summer are usually the best times to repot indoor plants because they’re actively growing and can settle into their new home more easily.
If you’re repotting towards the end of summer, we’d recommend only moving plants that genuinely need the extra space rather than repotting your whole indoor jungle before autumn arrives.
How to Repot a Houseplant in 3 Easy Steps
Ready to get your hands a little dirty? Repotting indoor plants is surprisingly simple.
1. Remove your plant from its growing pot
Gently turn your plant onto its side and ease it out of its existing growing pot. Try holding around the base of the plant rather than pulling on its stems or leaves.
If it doesn’t want to budge, gently squeeze the sides of the growing pot to help loosen the roots.
Once it’s out, take a look at the root ball. Carefully loosen any tightly tangled roots with your fingers and remove any roots that are dead, damaged or mushy. Healthy roots should generally feel firm.
If your plant is very root bound, gently teasing some of the roots apart will encourage them to grow outwards into their new compost.
2. Prepare your plant’s new pot
Choose a clean growing pot with drainage holes that’s slightly larger than the one your plant is currently living in.
Add a layer of fresh compost to the bottom before placing your plant inside.
Make sure you’re using the right compost for your botanical too. Most indoor plants will be happy in a good-quality peat-free houseplant compost, while cacti and succulents prefer a freer-draining compost designed specifically for them.
3. Settle your houseplant into its new home
Place your houseplant in the centre of its new growing pot, making sure it sits at roughly the same depth as it did before.
Fill around the roots with fresh compost and gently firm it into place. Avoid packing the compost down too tightly โ those roots still need a little room to breathe.
Add soil around the plant by pressing it down until it’s secure and sitting nice and straight.
Give it a little drink, let it drain away, then pop it in its new ceramic or belly basket.
What Size Pot Should I Choose for Repotting?
Choosing the right sized pot is an important step to allow your houseplant enough room to grow. However, thereโs a fine line between having a little growing space and too much. As a rule of thumb, choose a pot thatโs around 2-3cms bigger for small plants and 5cm for larger houseplants.
When you’ve finished repotting your houseplant, why not treat yourself to a lovely new ceramic or belly basket? We’ve got a range of styles and sizes, including various sizes of grey concrete pots, stoneware ceramics and lined seagrass belly baskets. Take your pick!
What Happens if You Donโt Repot your Houseplant?
Repotting gets much easier once you’ve done it a couple of times. Here are a few Little Botanical tips to help things go smoothly:
- Repot during the growing season where possible. Spring and summer give most houseplants plenty of time to settle into their new home.
- Don’t automatically choose a huge pot. Moving up one pot size at a time is usually best.
- Use fresh, suitable compost. We love peat-free compost, but remember that some botanicals have more specific soil requirements.
- Be gentle with the roots. There’s no need to completely remove every piece of old compost or aggressively untangle healthy roots.
- Always think about drainage. A growing pot with drainage holes helps excess water escape and reduces the risk of soggy roots.
- Give your plant time to settle. It might look a little less perky immediately after repotting, so give it a chance to adjust before making any more big changes.
Before long, you’ll be repotting your indoor jungle like a pro.
A new pot for your new plant
Repotting might be practical, but we think it’s also the perfect excuse for a little plant makeover.
Once you’ve chosen the right-sized growing pot, finish the look with one of our ceramic plant pots or belly baskets. From colourful ceramics to beautifully textured baskets, it’s an easy way to give your botanical a fresh new look without compromising on the practical bits happening underneath.
Then all that’s left to do is stand back, admire your handiwork and watch your green beauty settle into its lovely new home. ๐ฟ
Happy repotting, plant people!
Keeping Your Plant Healthy After Repotting
Once your green beautyโs happy in its new home, itโs a good idea to treat it to a little TLC with misting, watering and nourishing plant food. You can find all of these on our website.
Zab Plant Mister
Our gorgeous houseplant mister will keep your plant happy and healthy with a spritz of water every now and then. Available in copper and brass this gorgeous mister holds 300ml of water and is the perfect combination of function and style.
Watering Can
These chic watering cans are made from durable stainless steel, with the cutest mango wood lid and an ergonomic handle that makes it comfortable to give those little green babies a drink. Available in two colours (brass and copper) and two sizes (medium and mini) the elongated spout makes it super easy to water houseplants and succulents whenever they need a drink.
Moss Pole
Moss poles support the growth of your plants, train their growth habit, and for those vines with adventurous roots, provide extra nutrients and moisture to your plants. This moss pole, measuring 80cm tall and 5cm wide, is perfect to train the most unruly of Monsteras or Scindapsus.
Plantsmith Peat-Free Houseplant Compost
This premium Peat-Free Easy Houseplant Compost contains the perfect balance of coconut coir (a by-product of the coconut industry) mixed with slow release Plantsmith nutrients that feed and nourish houseplants for up to 6 months. Designed for the widest range of houseplants, itโs suitable for everything except orchids, cacti and bonsai trees.
Plantsmith Perfecting Houseplant Care Mist
Made with a complete blend of 17 essential ingredients to aid growth, including kelp extract and humic acid, our Plantsmith Perfecting Houseplant Care Mist stimulates growth and gives houseplants a boost. It also contains lavender and avocado oils to deter pests. Mist your repotted plant 2-3 times a week all year round to take your houseplant care to another level.
Plantsmith Fortifying Houseplant Tonic
With potassium, magnesium and iron for strong, glossy leaves and long-lasting flowers, our Plantsmith Fortifying Houseplant Tonic is a professional formulation houseplant food with 13 essential nutrients and kelp extract to stimulate cell growth. Simply shake the bottle well and mix 5ml (or four pumps) into a litre of tepid water and apply it to the base of the plant.
Plantsmith Beautifying Leaf Shine
Our 100% plant-based Plantsmith Beautifying Leaf Shine contains cold-pressed natural oils that enhance and condition the leavesโ natural shine. The grapefruit extract provides anti-fungal protection and removes dirt, dust and grime to enable your botanical to photosynthesize.
We hope this guideโs helped you with repotting your houseplants. If you ever get stuck, weโre only an email away. Get in touch with us with any repotting questions you have at [email protected] and weโll happily offer any additional tips and advice to help you on your plant ownership journey.
Happy Repotting.
Lots of love,
Team TLB xx
