by Leslie Driesen

Created on: April 18, 2008

There are many rules to re-potting house plants. First and foremost, be sure that your plant is actually ready to be transplanted. If you re-pot your plants before they are ready, they could react negatively and maybe even die. A good rule of thumb that my mother taught me was to see if it was root-bound or almost root-bound. To be able to tell whether your plants are root-bound, you could take a knife and check the very edge of the pot. If the knife meets with resistance as you push it into the soil at the outer edge of the pot, then your pot is root-bound. You could also use a chop-stick and poke it down along the outer rim of the soil.

Second rule is that you should never prune back your plant at least two weeks prior to and after transplanting. When you re-pot or prune, the plant goes into shock for a good two weeks and needs time to adjust and re-cooperate.

Another rule of thumb is to make sure you have the right kind of pot. The pot you are using to transplant should be no more than one inch bigger than the previous pot the plant was in. This gives the plant just enough room to grow without overwhelming it with space. Also it should have just the right amount of drainage. Too much drainage results in loss of soil and a sinking plant, but not enough drainage leaves the plant roots in stagnant water and can cause the roots to decay. If the pot you have doesn't have enough drainage, you can use a drill to create some more holes. Then use pebbles or broken clay pots to line the bottom. This helps with drainage and also keeps the soil intact.

When I re-pot my plants, I use a mixture of generic potting soil, Miracle Grow's Moisture Control soil and used coffee or espresso grounds. After lining the bottom of the pot with pebbles, I fill it just about a quarter of the way with the new soil. Then I take the plant out of the old pot and loosen the dirt around the root ball of the plant into the new pot. I also take some of the old soil and add it to the new pot. Next, I add a little water to the soil before I put the plant in. After adding water, I set the plant into it's new "home" and hold it upright as I carefully add soil around it. Every once in a while, I'm sure to pat down the soil. I continue this process until I am about half of an inch from the top. At this point, I firmly, but gently, press down on the soil around the plant to make sure the plant has good support. (If you don't pack down the soil, it will shift and compact with each watering.)

Lastly, give the plant a good watering and place it in the proper amount of light and shade. Enjoy as your new plant flourishes in it's new surroundings.

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