Repotting Houseplants At The Right Time Will Give Them New Life

Repotting houseplants periodically is necessary to keep them healthy and attractive.  As a houseplant grows it will outgrow its current pot.  To provide the root system the room needed your houseplant needs repotting.

Roots growing out of the bottom of it's pot are a sure sign the houseplant is root bound.  If we remove the houseplant from it's pot and see many roots surrounding the soil, the houseplant also needs repotting.

As houseplants grow they may become to large for their pot.  Visually the plant and plant pot need to be in proportion.  A plant that is too large for it's pot will not look as attractive as one that is in proportion with it's pot.  Most plants should be 2 to 3 times as tall as their pots.  Trees may be taller than this but the pot needs to appear large enough to support the houseplant.

In the extreme, when a houseplant becomes too large for it's pot, it may become unstable and tip over as the soil dries out.  Repotting houseplants to a larger pot will solve this problem.

When a houseplant is root bound, the water will seem to run straight through he pot to the base.  Too many roots allows the water to run right through the soil.  The soil does not retain much moisture and the plant will need watering much more frequently than normal.  When repotting the houseplant , the addition of fresh soil will allow the soil to retain more moisture and extend the time between waterings.

As spring arrives and the days lengthen, our houseplants begin a new cycle of growth.  Repotting houseplants should always be done at a time when the plant is actively growing.  At this time the plant is best able to establish itself in it's new pot and withstand the shock of the move.

Repotting houseplants at the right time is beneficial in keeping them healthy and attractive.  If you gather and prepare the materials you need and follow the step by step guide, you will be rewarded with healthy, attractive houseplants.

Repotting a houseplant should always be done when a plant is healthy.  A plant infected by disease or infested by pests will not be as capable of adjusting and reestablishing itself.  The pest and disease problems should be cured before repotting the houseplant.