Re Potting House Plants

Just saw a TV show this norning (NBC10) where they had an expert on plants. He said that this is the time of year one should give some thought to repotting house plants. He had (what I thought) was a wonderful, helpful tip;

Take plant out of its pot. Take that empty pot, and center it into the larger size container that you want to go to. Proceed to take fresh potting soil and pile lightly into the center pot allowing soil to fall into the gap between the two pots. Remove the center pot and you will have a nice neat, made to order, cavity to nestle your plant into!

No Muss and no Fuss!! However, I would also first put some potting medium into the bottom of that new pot to bring the plant up to the correct level.Then the fresh potting soil that collected in the center container can be returned to the bag.

Hedandan...Thanks, that's a great little tip and I will try it as I have a plant that needs repotting:)
As far as the "no muss and no fuss" I seem to make a muss no matter what I do...I make a muss just watering my plants...LOL

Carol

Carol.....you are not alone when it comes to being messy with houseplants. Thought that this tip could be of help to some! I have always had a terrible time getting the new soil
into the new pot and then finding (making) room to insert the plant. WHAT-A-MESS!!!

Hedy :-))

~Hedy~
A friend of mine at work gave me a part of her Arrowhead vine plant(roots and all)last night. I brought it home this morning(i work 3rd shift)and applied that very same technique. Soooo much easier...just took the extra soil and filled in the hole with it:)
Still messy...but that comes with the territory:D

AlvaJa...So happy that it worked out for you. Guess any kind of dealings with plants and repotting is bound to be a bit messy....but the two pots make make the job MUCH MORE UNMESSY! Before I start, I always spread a newspaper to catch the stray dirt. This is probably something you do anyway, without anyone saying so.

Hedy :-))

I find this very odd to come from an 'expert'.
Sure it is time-saving to repot a plant that way - but what is the point of cramming an old, dense root ball with nutrient-depleted soil (if there is any left at all), probably full of dead roots and, heaven forbid, root mealie bugs or other pests, into a bigger pot with a tiny layer of new soil???

Ask yourself: why are we repotting at all?
To check the roots for pests, remove all dead, shrivelled or rotted ones, and, most of all, to give the plant a fresh, nutrient-rich medium and a new lease on life for the next several years.

One added, very real danger of having two different mixes in the same pot is: the new soil most probably wets much easier than the old root ball. When you water, the water will soak the new soil, running between the old root ball and the pot and out through the compulsory drainage hole, never able to actually provide water to the plant. Your plant will slowly shrivel up and die, and you have no idea why, because you have been watering regularly...

When repotting, the roots should always be loosened carefully, ALL old soil removed, all dead matter removed, and roots checked for pests and general well-being. Rinse soil out with a hose pipe or under the tap if necessary. If by then the plant still needs a bigger pot, then take a bigger one, but chances are that you can put it back into the same size. If you put it back into the same pot, this must be scrubbed clean thoroughly before doing so.
Fill some new soil mix into the bottom of the pot, then hold the plant in position over the pot, spreading the roots evenly and assuring that it will end up at the same level as before. Fill in new soil all round and between the roots, handfull by handfull, frequently tapping the pot down onto a hard surface while holding on to the plant at the same time in order to fill in any gaps that might otherwise form between the roots. Fill to a final level 1 cm / 1/2 in below the rim of the pot to give you enough space for watering.
Repotting is a messy business no matter what you do, it's part of the hobby. So what.

Sorry, I hate to be the stranger who throws the spanner into the works. I don't hang out much in this particular forum, but I just could not let this one go and watch you all waste your time (and plants).

maddy

maddy.....really excellent instructions on repotting!! However,the "garden expert" I observed on TV meant his tip for plants that are healthy and with no problems, other than growing larger and a bit pot bound.

I think if a plant is truly in need of help and is "sickish" (you can tell by the folage). Especially if it has pests and insects in the roots!

I just accepted the repotting tip for what it was meant to do, and thought it might be of interest to others.

Hedy :-))

When I repot,I take them in the yard and remove all old soil with a garden hose,inspect roots,trim if needed,repot with new soil,and top prune to make up for root pruning.:0)

Yeah I see what you mean, Hedy. :-)
But even when just potting one size up, this method only works well if the plant has been in the current pot for only a short while, and if you have put it there yourself in the first place and know for absolutely sure that the soil mix is identical to the new one you are going to use. (for the water distribution reasons mentioned above)

It is a good idea to check the roots every time the plant comes out of the pot, even if it looks healthy. Don't wait until it looks sick above ground, by then the damage done underground by rot or pests can already be immense and could be fatal.
maddy

Good Advice "maddy"!!! I shall heed your advice when repotting my older house plants that I have had for an established length of time! I do think it is important to disinfect older clay pots before using, too!

Also, when bringing a new plant into your collection, keep isolated and observe for any signs of a problem! (Lest you infect your established plants.) Especially if you purchase an innocent looking little plant from the supermarket, or some unknown plant nursery!!

Hedy :-))