Repotting indoor plants
Of all the plant maintenance repotting is the most rewarding because it promotes
new growth, especially in spring. Transplant young, fast-growing plants into
larger containers annually so their roots can grow to take in moisture and
nutrients to support the foliage. Repot older plants periodically so they
don't die in small, tightly packed pots that require frequent watering.
The longer a plant stays in the same pot, the more likely that the salts and
mineral residues from water will build to harmful levels in the potting mix.
And the mix itself, mostly organic elements such as peat moss, disintegrates.
Repotting replaces the old mix with some fresh mix, which often contains a
little bit of fertilizer. If it doesn't, wait two weeks, until new roots are
less vulnerable to fertilizer burn, and add a balanced liquid food, following
label directions.
How to Repot Indoor Plants
1. Cut away excess top growth. Turn the plant and pot upside down, and support
the soil with your open hand. Tap the bottom of the pot with your other hand,
or tap the edge of the pot against a hard surface to gently ease the plant
out of its container. Determine whether the plant is root bound (if the roots
look too crowded or are growing in circles around the edges of the pot.) If
the roots are shallow, repot the plant in a pot of the same size filled with
fresh potting soil. If the plant is root bound, transplant it to a pot about
1 inch larger than the original. In both cases, the new pot should be sterilized.
2. Lift the plant with one hand, and gently tease the roots apart with the other, pulling the roots downward and away from the soil. Some of the roots may fall off, but that is okay.
3. Place a terra-cotta plate over the drainage hole at the bottom of the new pot, then fill it with some fresh potting soil containing a mix of topsoil, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, grit, charcoal, slow-release fertilizer, and bonemeal. Add some water to moisten the soil.
4. Set the plant in the fresh soil, centering the top of the root mass 1/2 inch below the rim of the pot. Put new soil around the top of the plant, keeping soil at same level it was previously. Water the soil again.
5. Using a chopstick or a bamboo stick, tap on the surface
of the soil to help work the soil around the edges of the plant so there are
no air holes. Tamp the pot on a hard surface to pack the soil to remove air
pockets around the roots and the wall of the pot.