Time for fresh soil and valuable nutrients. Should you repot your indoor plants at least every two years? You can read how and why in this article. We also provide you with helpful step-by-step instructions so that the care measure can be carried out in no time at all.
Regular repotting is important so that indoor plants have enough space for their roots
Reasons to repot a houseplant
- a larger pot stimulates growth
- the earth can store more water
- new substrate provides new nutrients
- the root ball has more space to spread out
- aesthetic reasons (no stocky growth)
tips
Regular repotting not only benefits your houseplant, but also saves you a few maintenance measures. For example, you have to water the plant less because of the better water storage capacity or you can stop fertilizing for a while because of the higher nutrient content.
The right time
Spring is the best time to repot a houseplant. The plant is now in the growth phase and immediately uses the optimized conditions for the formation of new roots.
Better not to repot then
Flowering indoor plants should be allowed to bloom first. During this time, the plant puts all its energy into flowering. A repotting would now lead to a shock.
Sometimes it is unavoidable to repot a plant in winter. Newly purchased specimens should be planted in a larger container immediately after purchase. You need to be extra careful while you're resting. If you damage the roots, your houseplant will not recover as well as it would at any other time of the year.
When is it absolutely necessary to repot?
Like the upper part of the plant, the volume of the root ball is constantly increasing. If there is no more space in the pot, the roots will suffocate. A first sign of a lack of space are aerial roots that proliferate out of the ground. A sick impression (e.g. yellow, dry leaves) also indicates the urgency of changing the bucket. The chronological rhythm in which you repot your houseplant depends on the individual growth rate.
How to repot indoor plants
- The new pot should have about 20% more volume than the old one
- Install a granular or expanded clay drainage layer (€19.73) in the new planter
- Dig up the plant carefully
- Place them in the center of the new pot
- Fill the remaining space around the edge with soil
- The substrate should not end at the edge of the bucket, but end 1 to 2 cm below it
- This is important to prevent overflow when pouring
- To prevent your plants from drying out in a sunny position, you can cover the soil with mulch (€239.00).
- Water the substrate according to the needs of the plant
tips
When repotting, check the root ball for moldy or dry roots and remove them liberally. On top of that, repotting always offers a good opportunity to propagate the plant by division.