A Short Guide to Repotting Houseplants
Houseplants make an excellent addition to interiors of every sort. With their help, you’ll be able to bring a little bit of the outdoors into your living space. They’re proven to aid relaxation and to generally bolster your mood. After all, our bodies have been shaped by evolution to feel contented when we’re surrounded by green things (which tend to be associated with plenty) and to get slightly restless when we’re not.
We see evidence of a boom in houseplants, courtesy of research by fitted furniture specialists Hammonds. The researchers cite a 21% uptick in Google searches for ‘biophilic design’, in 2021. There were also more than eight million Instagram posts related to houseplants. Our enthusiasm for greenery was heightened by lockdown – but it hasn’t shown any signs of going anywhere since then.
If you’re going to get the most from your houseplants, however, you’ll need to regularly repot them. This will provide the plant with the space it needs to spread as it grows. But exactly how do you repot a houseplant? Let’s run through the process.
Signs you need to repot
If you can see roots appearing through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, pushing the plant up and out of the soil, then it’s time to repot. You might also notice that the soil dries out quickly, because the growing plant has gotten thirstier. This is particularly important in tropical plants like the Monstera Deliciosa, which generally require more water.
Preparation
Before you get started, you’ll want to make sure that you have all of the items you’ll need assembled. Potting soil, gravel, plant foot and pruning shears might all be required.
Removing the plant
The first step is to take the plant out of its pot. Turn the entire thing onto its side, hold the plant gently, and tap the bottom so that the roots loosen up. You can trim the roots, but only the very thinnest ones. If you’re going to be using the same pot, then get rid of around a third of the old mix.
Repotting
You should be packing in the soil so that there aren’t any pockets of air. If the pot lacks drainage at the bottom, you can use gravel at the bottom to help out. Install the plant into the hole you’ve created, and then pack soil around so that it’s unable to move around.
Transplant shock
After the repot, you’ll need to keep an eye on the plant to see how it’s responding to the change in conditions. Try to keep it in the same position, keep it fed with quality plant food, and trim away any dead plant matter. In time, it should become used to the new conditions; until then, a little extra attention can’t hurt!
