How to Repot a Plant in 6 Easy Steps
When plants are young, it's a good idea to keep them in smaller containers before eventually transferring them into larger pots after about a month or healthy growth
This technique allows you to conserve space and resources while your plant's nutritional needs are minimal. It also allows the root structure to amass into a "ball" which leads to more vigorous growth over your plant's lifetime.
However....
Transferring your "teenage" plants from small containers into large pots can be a real challenge; especially for new gardeners.
But don't worry!
In this article, you're going to learn a fool-proof method for how to repot a plant!
Table of Contents
Step #1: Preparing Your Large Pots
Step #4: Removing the Plants From Their Small Pots
Step #5: Placing Plants in Large Pots
Step #1: Preparing Your Large Pots
Place your large (destination) pot on the ground and fill it to the top with soil. I recommend using a 5-gallon pot, at minimum.
If you are going to repot a large number of plants, I recommend laying all of your pots on the ground and filling each pot with soil before moving on to the next step.
Step #2: Wet & Pack the Soil
Wet the soil with water from a hose or watering can. Hydrating the soil will make it easier to shape and will give the plant more support.
When the soil is wet, take a large flat object (I prefer to use the bottom of an empty pot) and use it to pack down the soil as tightly as you can.
Tight soil allows roots to absorb water and nutrients more efficiently.
Again, if you plan to repot multiple plants, I recommend wetting and packing the soil in all of your pots before moving on to the next step.
Step #3: Shaping the Soil
Hold the large container with your non-dominant hand and use your dominant hand to carve out a hole in the center of the pot.
This hole should extend to about 2 inches above the bottom of the pot.
If you've never repotted a plant before, try to use every last bit or vertical space inside the pot to make the hole as wide and as deep as you can.
You'll likely need to do this a few times before you get it perfect, so don't get discouraged!
Again, shape the soil in all of your pots before proceeding.
Step #4: Removing the Plants From Their Small Pots
This is where it gets a bit tricky. For best results, wait until the soil in small (origin) pots is slightly dry before proceeding.
Gently hold the small pot in one hand and carefully push up on the bottom of the pot with the thumb i