How to Transplant Plants
Contrary to what Instagram wants you to believe, raising plants is tricky. There are so many questions to be answered. Are you watering too much? Not enough? Is the light in your room bright, diffuse, or weak? What is soil rot? Why does everything die?
This is why moving a plant from one container to another can seem like a daunting task. But transplanting keeps the plants happy and healthy, and there are several signs that the time is right, for example:
- Your plant has clearly outgrown the pot.
- Roots will sprout through drainage holes or push your plant upward.
- Your plant is heavily swollen or grows very slowly during the normal growing season.
- The soil dries out, crumbles or stops absorbing water.
- Are you tired of your old planter
Early spring (right now) is the best time to transplant as your plants emerge from hibernation and enter the growing season. Here’s how to do it.
Collect your tools
Before you get the plant out of your home, you will need a few things:
- A new pot that is slightly larger and deeper. Don’t oversize – for a small plant an extra 1–2 inches in diameter is sufficient, and for a larger plant 2–4 inches is sufficient.
- Fresh potting mix
- A watering can, measuring cup, water bottle, or spray bottle.
- Scissors
Prepare the plant and pot
Water the plant at least a day before removing it from the pot. This prevents the root ball (mainly the mass of roots and soil) from collapsing. You can also moisten the new potting mix if it’s really dry.
Add a potting potting base to a new container. If it has drainage holes, place it in a tray or put a coffee filter on the bottom first to prevent soil from falling out. Your base layer should be thick enough so that when you place the plant inside, it doesn’t rise above the top of the pot.
Remove and trim the plant
Don’t just pull out the stem. You can turn the pot on its side and knock on the sides and bottom of the container, or turn it over and gently turn the plant until it slips out.
Loosen the root ball with your fingers (but do not chop it into pieces) and cut off any very long roots that grow outside the ball.
Transplant your plant
Place the plant on fresh soil and fill in the empty space around it to keep it upright. It is not necessary to cover it completely or compact the soil. Leave some space (about an inch for large containers) between the soil and the top of the pot.
Transplanting can stress the plants, so water the plant well and keep it out of direct sunlight for a few days.
Of course, not every plant needs replanting. Some can handle it every 1 to 2 years, while others prefer not to be distracted. It is also not necessary to plant a plant in a new pot if it has not outgrown the current house. The replanting process can simply be used to prune roots or replace old soil.