How to Repot a Plant, Step by Step

Repotting gives roots fresh soil and room to grow. Most houseplants need it every one to three years, and spring is the best time.

4 minute read. Updated .

Signs a plant needs repotting

  • Roots grow out of the drainage holes or circle the soil surface.
  • Water runs straight through, and the pot dries out within a day or two.
  • The plant is top-heavy and tips over.
  • Growth has slowed in spring and summer despite good care.
  • A white crust of salts has built up on the soil.

Repot in spring or early summer, when the plant is growing strongly and recovers fast. Avoid repotting a plant that is flowering or one you have just brought home. Let a new plant settle for a few weeks first.

Choose the right pot

Move up just one size: a pot 1 to 2 in (2.5–5 cm) wider than the old one, or 2 to 3 in wider for a large floor plant. A pot that is much too big holds wet soil that the roots cannot reach, and this leads to rot.

The pot must have a drainage hole. Terracotta dries quickly and suits succulents and plants that dislike wet soil. Plastic and glazed pots hold moisture longer and suit ferns and peace lilies.

Choose the potting mix

Use fresh, bagged potting mix. Garden soil is too dense for pots.

  • Most foliage plants: all-purpose potting mix with a handful of perlite.
  • Aroids such as Monstera and pothos: potting mix with orchid bark and perlite.
  • Succulents and cacti: cactus mix, or potting mix cut half and half with grit or pumice.

Steps

  1. Water the day before. A moist root ball slides out more easily and is less stressed.
  2. Remove the plant. Tip the pot sideways, support the stem base with one hand, and ease the root ball out. Squeeze a plastic pot or run a knife around the inside edge of a rigid one.
  3. Loosen the roots. Tease out roots that circle the root ball. Trim any that are black, mushy or dead. If the roots form a solid mass, make three or four shallow vertical cuts in the sides.
  4. Add mix to the new pot. Put in enough that the top of the root ball sits about 1 in (2.5 cm) below the rim. Do not add gravel to the bottom. It does not improve drainage.
  5. Set the plant and fill. Center the plant at the same depth as before. Fill around the sides and firm gently with your fingers. Leave space at the top for watering.
  6. Water thoroughly. Water until it drains from the base, then top up any mix that has settled.

Aftercare

Keep the plant out of direct sun for a week and do not fertilize for four to six weeks, because fresh mix already contains nutrients. Some drooping or the loss of a leaf is normal. Water only when the top of the mix dries, since the larger pot holds moisture longer than the old one.

When the plant is as big as you want

Slide it out, shave 1 in (2.5 cm) off the sides and bottom of the root ball, and return it to the same pot with fresh mix. For plants too large to lift, replace the top 2 in (5 cm) of mix each spring.