How to Pot a Plant
So – you’ve noticed that your potted plant is looking a little crowded in its original pot these days?
Perhaps it isn’t doing as well as it usually does or you find that it seems a bit top-heavy.
Maybe it isn’t holding water like it used to (dries out quickly).
Well don’t worry! It is likely your plant has outgrown its pot and needs a new home. In other words, you now need to know how to pot a plant! Lucky for you re-potting a plant is easy to do (and fun too!)
You will need:
- A plant pot – one size larger than the pot you are transplanting from.
- A small stone or shard of another pot to cover the hole in the bottom of your new pot
- Quality potting soil – plants in pots have specific needs that potting soil provides such as aeration, nutrient/fertilizer and water retention.
- A small spade – while not required, this will help you move the soil. The handle can be helpful in packing the soil as well.
- A plant..!
- Take the stone or shard and cover the hole in bottom of pot. Make sure not to completely block up the hole! Most plant’s don’t like wet feet.
- Make sure the pot you have is of proper size. Add enough soil to the bottom so that the plant is at the same height in the soil as it was in the previous pot.
- Remove the plant from the existing pot. Plastic pots are easy – just give the pot a couple of good thumps so the soil is loosened. Make sure no roots are “stuck” in the pot. If they are you may need to trim these roots. If the pot is terracotta you may have more difficulty. If the plant is root bound you may even need to break the pot!
- Now put the plant in the new pot. You may need to add or remove soil to ensure that the plant is at the same height in the soil as it was in its old pot. You may want to “tease” the roots of the plant a bit to encourage growth, but be careful not to damage them as this can invite disease and rot. Make sure there is the plant isn’t so high up in the pot so that when you water it overflows – leave about an inch or so to allow water to pool (and not overflow) when watering. There should be roughly an inch or so around you plant assuming it is a small plant. Larger plants will have more room to scale.
- Now you need to fill in the gap around the plant with soil. It is important to make sure you add enough soil and pack it well enough so that there are no air pockets. One way of doing this is to add the soil loosely and “tap” it into place in layers followed by a firm packing of the soil around the outside. Do not overly pack the soil – we do want to encourage root growth – but we don’t want any air places.
- Now you are ready to “water in” your plant. To do this, water the soil generously. You may need to add small amounts of soil as you go since some settling may occur if there were any air gaps.
- Place your plant in a good environment for its type. Knowing what conditions your plant likes is essential for it to grow healthy and strong!
- Enjoy your newly potted and happy plant!