How to Tell If It’s Time to Replant a Plant
Even if you were not a plant person before the pandemic, it is possible that greenery appeared around your house – so you at least had some living creature to interact with. Part of the appeal of living plants is to take care of something and watch them grow. But what happens when it outgrows its original pot or planter? Okay, it’s simple: you transplant it. But how do you know when it’s time to replant the plant? Here’s what you need to know.
Signs it’s time to replant your plant
In general, you need to replant young plants that tend to grow rapidly every six months to one year , and more mature plants every few years. But knowing when it’s time to find a new home for your houseplant isn’t all about a calendar.
“There are many more things to consider besides how much time has passed,” Julie Bowden-Davis , the head gardener behind healthy houseplants , recently told Well + Good . “There are plants that can stay in pots for years without needing to replant, and they actually do better when they are in the same pots for extended periods of time. There are other plants that need replanting much more often. ”
Here are four signs that it’s time to replant a plant, according to Boden-Davis :
- Roots grow from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
- The plant is clearly too large for its pot. Ideally, the ratio should be two-thirds of the plant’s height to one-third of the pot.
- A bunch of leaves on a plant turns yellow at the same time, which may be a sign that there is not enough soil for the roots.
- The plant suddenly loses many leaves.
If you notice any – or all – of these things, here is our plant transplant guide .