Repotting your plants? Here is everything that you need to know!

Taking care of plants is a rejuvenating experience. If you love being surrounded by plants, you won’t even realize how quickly time passes. While this pastime gives you a break from your ever-going thoughts, it also helps you in clearing your mind & gaining some clarity. So, taking care of plants is an Art as well as Science. Right from different pest attacks, nutrition deficiencies, temperature & humidity variances; there are many important aspects of plant care. One such important aspect is repotting your plants. It may sound simple, but this task can be a little tricky. With this article, we will be explaining how you can make this pot switch a convenient experience for your beloved plants.

Why do your plants need repotting?

Your plants need repotting when their roots spread increases. The sidewalls of the existing pot hinder the growth of your plants’ roots. This is the primary reason why your plants need to be transferred from one pot to another. The newer pot should always be larger in size than the previous one. This allows enough space for the roots to grow.

How to know if your plants need repotting?

You can keep checking the bottom drainage holes of your plants periodically. If you see any roots coming out of these drainage holes, it means your plants are growing rapidly and soon require repotting. Sometimes you can also see the roots surfacing above the soil. These are the ways in which you know if your plants need repotting. Thus, the periodical observation of your plants is a key to understanding their needs.

Selecting the right pot

Keep in mind the size and shape of your plant. You can accordingly choose the size of the pot. Drainage holes are also important. The pots can be chosen as per the size of the plants. Usually taking a larger pot beforehand helps in avoiding the frequent need of repotting the plant. However, considering the growth of your plant you can choose to repot your plants in 12 to 18 months. If you have to re-pot your plants before this, then you can confirm that the selection of the existing pot was incorrect. Be it a designer planter or a normal planter,  you can keep these parameters in mind while selecting a pot for your plant.

Best season to repot your plants

In the Indian subcontinent, the Rainy season is the best time to repot the plants. This is because the climate is suitable for plant growth. The natural temperature and humidity conditions allow the plants to regrow at a rapid rate. A plant undergoes shock when it is repotted. Direct rains help to reduce the effects of shock. While the rainy & winter seasons are great for repotting, you can avoid doing the same in the Summer season. There is a high chance for plants to die because of shock in the summer season.

Preparing the right plant mix

You can choose either designer planters or metal planters for your plants. However, the right plant mix allows the balanced growth of your plants. Plant mix is the soil in which you grow your plants. To prepare the right plant mix, you have to understand the water requirement, pace of growth & other distinct characteristics of your plants. For example – some plants may require soil that quickly drains out the water, whereas a few might want soil with higher clay content. For most plants – the plant mix of vermicompost, garden soil & cocopeat with one-third proportion of each works really well. Garden soil provides the stability, whereas vermicompost provides all the necessary nutrients for plant growth and cocopeat allows aeration. So, this plant mix serves the best.

Repotting a nursery plant

When you get new plants from a nursery, those are usually in plastic bags or small pots of temporary nature. While repotting these plants, you can pay attention to the quality of plant mix, size of the pots, drainage holes etc. Usually, morning or evening time is suitable for repotting such plants. If nursery plants are in plastic bags, you can simply give a few cuts on the bag and peel out the plastic bag. After that, you can transfer this plant to the new pot. If there are containers, you can try to simply pull out the plant in a gentle way by holding onto the stem of the plant. Make sure that the soil is dry enough & the plant roots stay intact while you do this.

Repotting the large plants

When your plants grow out of proportion, repotting them can be very complicated. The spread of roots is complex in larger plants. Hence, completely transferring these entire complex root structures as it is might be difficult. For repotting such plants, remember not to water your plants for a day or two. This way the soil will become dry and it will be easy to pull out the plant. The dry soil allows easy removal of roots. Without wasting much time, you can then immediately transfer such a plant to its designated new pot.

Give it some time & space

Remember to water your plant as it was longing for water for some time. A plant goes through shock when it undergoes this process. So, when you see your plant dull in its new pot for a day or two, don’t worry as it will need some time to adjust. Once the roots are adjusted in the soil, your plant will stand tall. Keep in mind, most plants at home die due to over caring and not due to ignorance. So, make sure you don’t kill your plant unintentionally by trying to shower the love in the wrong ways. Learning consistently about your plants and then implementing this knowledge in your plant care routine can help your plants.

For more content related to gardening, plant care & design you can visit www.bonasila.com. If you are considering buying fiberglass planters India, you can consider buying them from Bonasila. We hope you found this article helpful. If you liked this article, you can join us in the comment section & share your views.