How to Re-Pot Your Houseplants?

Just like outdoor plants, houseplants occasionally grow too big for their space. When that happens, it’s crucial to re-pot your plants to give them fresh soil and more room to grow and develop.

Not all houseplants respond well to being re-potted. Most can go several years without requiring a larger container, while others grow quickly enough you’ll need to replant them every few months.

Here’s how to tell when your houseplants are ready for a larger container:

  • The roots take up so much space they are starting to push the plant out of the container.
  • The roots are starting to grow through the container's bottom drainage hole.
  • The soil dries out much faster than normal.
  • The plant is top-heavy and falls over frequently.
  • The plant is growing slower than normal.
  • There is noticeable salt and mineral buildup on the top of the soil.
7 Steps to Re-pot a Houseplant

Once you determine the timing is right, re-potting a houseplant is a relatively straightforward process.

  • icon_number_1@3x Water the plant the day before replanting to saturate the soil.
  • icon_number_2@3x Prepare a second, larger pot by filling it one-third of the way with a high-quality potting mix. Ideally, you want this pot to be at least twice as big as the previous one.
  • icon_number_3@3x Put your fingers over the top of the root ball and turn the pot over. Gently tap the pot's rim on a firm surface to see if the root ball will loosen from the sides. If not, run a knife along the perimeter to loosen them.
  • icon_number_4@3x Gently remove as much of the root ball as you can from the first pot and place it in the second on top of the fresh soil.
  • icon_number_5@3x Keep the plant straight with one hand while adding in more soil around it. Don't pack the material in too tightly, as you want to give the plant's roots plenty of space to stretch out.
  • icon_number_6@3x Fill the pot with soil up about one or two inches from the top of the rim. This allows for adequate watering space.
  • icon_number_7@3x Water the pot slowly so the planting soil can settle. Add more soil if it falls too far from the rim.

Note: Re-potting can stress out a plant, meaning that this is not the time to add extra fertilizer. Instead, wait several weeks for the plant to adjust to its new growing space before adding any supplemental nutrition.