The Basics of Repotting Plants

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Most plant owners are no stranger to the concept of repotting plants. The process, while necessary from time to time, can be a stressful one for both plant and owner. Incorrectly repotting plants can lead to the plant becoming stressed or even dying. As a plant parent, the thought of doing something that is necessary for the health of your plant but can also kill them, it is important to make sure you do things correctly.

For this reason, we’ve decided to cover the basics of repotting plants and how to do it the best way for the health of your plants and for your peace of mind! 

Why do Plants Need to be Repotted?

In nature plants never get repotted, so why do they need repotting when grown in unnatural settings such as a greenhouse or a pot? It is a valid question, and there is a very good answer for it. There are several important differences between plants being grown in a pot and in a forest, let’s look at how those differences change a plant’s growing environment.

In nature, when a plant is growing in soil as it naturally would, the soil is constantly exposed to the activity of various types of living organisms such as worms, insects, and microorganisms. Decaying organisms provide renewable nutrients to the soil. The activity of creatures such as worms help enrich the soil by creating castings and channels in the soil that provide aeration. While these benefits are not completely limited to non-potted plants, the activity of these organisms is reduced in a potted plant due to the restricted soil volume.

The biggest difference between potted plants and naturally growing plants is the soil volume. Plants are very different than animals in that plants continue to grow throughout their entire life. A plant growing in nature will continue to produce roots that are able to reach further and further into the ground. On top of this, the symbiosis with mycorrhizae fungi allow the roots to increase the distance to which nutrients can be acquired. These conditions, namely because pots are not as wide or deep as the ground, do not exist to the same extent when a plant lives in a pot. 

Due to the continual growth of a plant's roots and the restricted soil volume, plants grown in pots eventually become root bound. A plant is said to be root bound when the roots have grown enough to begin circling around the pot the plant is in. Due to the continued root growth, eventually, all the soil in the pot will be degraded and the pot will be essentially all roots. This condition is non-ideal for plants and can lead to the plant becoming unhealthy.

Once a plant is severely root bound, water will rush out of the pot as there is no soil to hold onto it. Soils are also rich in nutrients, if there is no soil left, the roots will be deprived of nutrients. If a plant is left root bound for an extended period of time, the plant can die. 

This cycle of continued growth and becoming root bound is a constant throughout the life of a potted plant. To combat it and keep your plants healthy, a plant parent must intervene in order to help keep their plants healthy. This is where the need to repot plants comes in!

The Process of Repotting Plants

The repotting process is quite straightforward and the goal is always the same. When repotting plants, you are trying to recreate a healthy soil environment for your plant so it can continue to growth properly.  In order to accomplish this, you’ll need to take your plant out of its pot, loosen and trim its roots, and repot it in a new - or the same - pot with fresh new soil and soil additives. Care must be taken when repotting plants however, too much disturbance to the root system can lead to the plant becoming stressed.

It is helpful to have the new pot ready before you begin the repotting process. Reducing the time your plant spends out of soil is ideal for limiting the stress from repotting. This is generally the easiest step when repotting plants, simply get your new pot ready and fill it with your soil substrate and additives. Make sure to leave enough room for the plant and for a bit more soil on top of the roots!

The first step when repotting plants is to remove your plant from its pot. This may be easier for some plants and harder for others. Pot shape and size, plant age, soil moisture, and the level of root boundedness all play a part in determining how hard it is to remove your plant from its pot. A good tip for easy removal of your plant from its pot is to fully soak the plant in water before you attempt to remove it. Soaking the soil will make it more malleable which will help when removing it from the pot. 

Once the plant has been removed from the pot the next step is to untangle the roots if they have started becoming root bound. Untangling the roots allows you to free up space between roots and make room for soil that the roots can grow through; it also ensures the roots do not keep growing is a circular fashion around the pot. Soaking the plant before untangling the roots makes the job easier and can help reduce root breakage. A good practice is to untangle the outermost roots carefully and not disturb the rootball (the central mass of roots) too much. This helps to keep the plants’ stress as low as possible.

When a plant becomes stressed, it can take awhile to rebound, if it is severely stressed, the plant may not rebound and may even die. For this reason, it’s important to take as many precautions as possible when repotting your plants.

With the roots untangled, the next step is to place the plant in the new pot, situate the roots as best you can to provide the plant some support, and cover the roots with a bit more soil. At this point, it is always a good idea (unless you’re repotting because of root rot) to give your newly repotted plant a healthy watering. This helps to ensure the plant has enough water in its new soil and helps with transplant shock (a form of plant stress). A plant can still become stressed if all the necessary precautions are taken when repotting it; however, these steps should help reduce the stress severity.

If transplanting the plant to a new, larger pot, make sure the new pot is a maximum of 2 inches larger than the pot the plant came out of. Transplanting to a pot more than 2 inches larger than its current pot can lead to root rot due to an excess amount of moisture.

As a note, many soil substrates are hydrophobic when dry - such as when filling a new pot - and should be soaked thoroughly. This can be done either before you repot your plant or after. Since watering after repotting is so important, care should be taken to make sure water actually reaches the plants roots.

Congratulations, you’ve successfully repotted your plant at this point! To help your plant further, make sure to keep the plant out of direct harsh light, especially sunlight, for a few days. If a plant is stressed, harsh light can further impact its health in a negative way. Watch the plant over the next several days and note if any issues arise such as wilting, leaf spots, or leaf drop. Some plants naturally show signs of stress with things like dropping leaves. If you’re concerned, it’s best to play it safe and take the plant to a professional nursery or plant pathologist if you notice problems.

Helpful Tools and Products for Successfully Repotting Plants

Repotting plants can be accomplished with just your pots, soil substrates, soil additives, if applicable, some water, and your hands. These items will allow you to successfully repot your plants, however, there are a few products available that make the process both easier and safer for your plants. The tools and products recommended here are ones that we’ve used personally (the brand may vary) and have had excellent success with. We are always trying new and exciting plant tools and products and will update this list as our experiences expand!

We’ve broken these helpful items down into two sections for simplicity, first we’ll cover our recommended tools that help make the repotting process easier. Next, we’ll cover some products you can use to help give your plant a boost once it has been repotted.

Helpful Tools for Repotting Plants

There are two tools that we use regularly when repotting plants, these tools are not required but them make the whole process simpler and more efficient. These tools are ideal for repotting due to their two main benefits, they are very helpful for making repotting plants easier, and they are not overly expensive. If you plan to grow plants and care for them, these tools will make an invaluable addition to your collection of plant care supplies.

Repotting Tool: Root Rake

The first tool we’ll cover is the humble root rake. For those unfamiliar with this tool, it’s simply a small rake designed to be less damaging to roots when untangling them from soil. Since it is most important that you cause as little damage as possible to the roots when repotting, having a tool that helps untangle roots while minimizing root damage is ideal. Root rakes are often made of metal but some can be plastic. Metal rakes are preferred as they will likely last longer, are less malleable (less likely to bend), and can move through soil easier. 

To use a root rake properly, once you’ve removed your plant from its old pot, inspect the root mass and look for larger roots on the outmost section of the mass. Begin untangling roots by gently digging the rake tines into the soil near the largest roots you can find. Slowly pry the roots up from the soil. Make sure to support the roots as best you can while prying by getting as many tines as you can under the root. Once you’ve managed to get the outmost roots free, begin working your way through the roots using the rake to comb through the soil and loosen roots as needed.

Repotting Tool: Soil Repotting Mat

Another helpful tool is a soil mat. Soil mats are simply canvas or nylon mats that have raised edges and help keep soil substrates contained to the mat. When repotting or potting up new plants, soil substrates (soil, pumice, sand, etc.) has a tendency to get everywhere! Having a mat to keep all of your substrate contained makes the process of repotting easier and makes cleanup a breeze. It can even be helpful to have two soil mats or an extra long one handy.

If you have two soil mats you can use one for preparing your new soil substrate, and the other can be used for the old soil. Alternatively, an extra long mat will allow you to keep the soils separate on either end of the mat. Rarely, it can be important to keep old soil away from the fresh new soil your repotting your plant in. If the old soil is contaminated with fungus or harmful insects, be sure to keep it separate from the new soil the plant will be placed in!

Using a soil mat is very straightforward, simply lay the mat out and use it as a container to mix new soils and to catch soil from the plant you are repotting. The material soil mats are made from are fairly standard; however, they come in several colors. While color is almost always a personal preference, choosing a lighter color mat can help avoid soil substrates blending into the mat. Black soil on a black mat can be a nuisance!

Helpful Products for Repotting Plants

The list of products that help reduce a plant’s stress once it’s been repotted is likely very long and full of products that have mixed results. We’ve selected the following products as they’ve proven to work for us when we’ve repotted plants. Both products are natural and are free from unnecessary or harmful ingredients. Each product is designed to help your plant rebound as quickly as possible from the stress of being repotted. 

Repotting Product: Mycorrhizae

The first product on the list is mycorrhizae. This product comes in either a powder form or a granular form. Regardless of which form you choose the product works the same, the form is really a preference consideration. Mycorrhizae is a type of fungus that forms a symbiotic (both organisms benefit) relationship with a plants roots. Mycorrhizae act as extensions to the plants roots allowing them to access nutrients they can’t normally reach. Adding mycorrhizae to your newly repotted plant helps the roots reestablish their ability to access nutrients quickly.

Repotting Product: Organic Kelp Fertilizer

Similar to fertilizer, kelp fertilizer is a nutritional plant food that will give your plant a boost by providing both macro- and micr- nutrients. Just like mycorrhizae, kelp fertilizer comes in both a granular and liquid forms. The liquid form is most ideal for plants that were recently repotted as they release their nutrients much quicker than the granular form. To cover all bases, you can add a small amount of granular kelp fertilizer to the root area of your plant when repotting. Once you’ve covered the roots and kelp with additional soil, water the plant using a diluted liquid kelp solution. 

The Basics of Repotting Plants, Final Word

While it can be a scary and nerve-wracking task, repotting plants doesn’t need to be something that you avoid due to worry of harming your plant. As long as you follow the correct procedure and take care when untangling roots, repotting plants will become just another routine task you perform as a plant parent.