Repotting your plants
Repotting your plants won't be an uncommon concept if you container garden. Plans can outgrow their pots, requiring a bigger pot (or to be planted in the ground), otherwise they can become stunted or in some cases even die. Luckily there's this handy thread to help keep you in check of what's going on.
You often notice your plant's growth can be stunted when it needs to be repotted, on top of that it might show surface roots. If you gently pull the plant from it's pot and you see more roots than soil, it's definitely rootbound. What this means is that your plant's roots are constricted and have nowhere else to go. It's a sign of needing more space on order to grow more roots and have a healthier plant. If your plant is on the ground you might notice roots coming from the drainage holes too, usually this is also a sign of needing to be repotted.
If the plant is really stuck and has a weak stem I like to turn the plant upside down, resting the roots on my hand, taking the weight off of the stem. It's normal to lose some soil while doing this. Gently squeeze, tap and shake the pot until it comes off. It really struggling I like to run some water through it to wash out soil to make more wiggle room to remove the pot. In rare cases you might have to break the pot to safely get the plant out. Don't be afraid to do what's necessary.
It's usually recommended to go only a size or two up in pots, meaning it's only a little bigger than it's previous pot. Use fresh potting soil, filling only the bottom, leaving enough space to put the new plant on top of. You can also help dig a little hole so it fits in better. Don't forget to fill around your plant until the pot is full, leaving about 2cm at the top. You leave this gap so water doesn't spill out when watering. This also helps prevent washing soil out from the top.
You can't always fully avoid transplant shock, but you can do your best to prevent it - or if needed fix it. You can aid your plant during repotting by watering it half an hour to an hour before repotting. Try to disturb the roots as little as possible and try to avoid transplanting in direct sunlight. Once transplanted water heavily, so the soil and the plant settles properly.
After repotting, leave your plant be for a while. Repotting is stressful to the plant, and it needs time to 'recover'.
As you can probably tell, I accidentally overfilled this pot. It did overflow when watered until I took out the excess soil.
When to repot?
Repotting is relatively easy! Though when to repot can differ on what size pot you have grown them in. You can grow your plant in seed cells or straight into a larger pot. Repotting can also be affected to what season you grow in. In colder climates it's often recommended to wait until spring, where the plant comes out of it's dormant stare and will start to grow again, needing more space for it's roots; whereas in the tropics it can be done year-round, depending on when the plants are active. A dormant plant's growth is limited, meaning you don't usually need to repot it.You often notice your plant's growth can be stunted when it needs to be repotted, on top of that it might show surface roots. If you gently pull the plant from it's pot and you see more roots than soil, it's definitely rootbound. What this means is that your plant's roots are constricted and have nowhere else to go. It's a sign of needing more space on order to grow more roots and have a healthier plant. If your plant is on the ground you might notice roots coming from the drainage holes too, usually this is also a sign of needing to be repotted.
How to repot?
This is easy as well, though there are many techniques. You have to take the plant out of it's pot, don't worry if it's a little stuck! Most pots are made of plastic, which means they are slightly pliable. You can turn the plant to the side and gently squeeze on all sides to loosen the pot so it slides off easily. Tapping the pot can also help in loosening it up. Don't worry! You can gently hold the plant by it's stem so you don't accidentally drop it whilst repotting.If the plant is really stuck and has a weak stem I like to turn the plant upside down, resting the roots on my hand, taking the weight off of the stem. It's normal to lose some soil while doing this. Gently squeeze, tap and shake the pot until it comes off. It really struggling I like to run some water through it to wash out soil to make more wiggle room to remove the pot. In rare cases you might have to break the pot to safely get the plant out. Don't be afraid to do what's necessary.
It's usually recommended to go only a size or two up in pots, meaning it's only a little bigger than it's previous pot. Use fresh potting soil, filling only the bottom, leaving enough space to put the new plant on top of. You can also help dig a little hole so it fits in better. Don't forget to fill around your plant until the pot is full, leaving about 2cm at the top. You leave this gap so water doesn't spill out when watering. This also helps prevent washing soil out from the top.
What is transplant shock?
Transplant shock is where a plant got stressed during repotting. This is often caused due to harm to the roots whilst repotting. This is why we try to take utmost care to not damage the plant whilst repotting.You can't always fully avoid transplant shock, but you can do your best to prevent it - or if needed fix it. You can aid your plant during repotting by watering it half an hour to an hour before repotting. Try to disturb the roots as little as possible and try to avoid transplanting in direct sunlight. Once transplanted water heavily, so the soil and the plant settles properly.
After repotting, leave your plant be for a while. Repotting is stressful to the plant, and it needs time to 'recover'.
Repotting with pictures:
As you can probably tell, I accidentally overfilled this pot. It did overflow when watered until I took out the excess soil.
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