Bringing houseplants into your home is one of the easiest ways to inject vitality and color into any living space. While caring for them can be a deeply rewarding process, keeping your green friends healthy takes a little know-how and close attention.

“Plants are surprisingly resilient when you give them what they need,” says James Mastaler, PhD, Founder and CEO of Pistils & Pollen. One of the things most houseplants need is repotting them into a larger pot when they’ve outgrown their current one.

You may already be familiar with the concept of repotting your houseplants from time to time, but knowing exactly when your plants have outgrown their current containers is essential.

3 Classic Signs Your Houseplant Needs More Room

Giving your plants a little bit of breathing room in bigger pots ultimately gives them room to grow. “It replenishes nutrients, can improve drainage and may prevent your plant from becoming root-bound,” explains Mastaler. “A fresh pot and soil mix can give a rootbound plant a chance to keep growing, if it hasn’t yet reached its fully mature size and growth potential.”

Mastaler lists the top signs that your houseplants are “asking” to be repotted. You’ll want to be on the lookout for:

• Roots poking through drainage holes.
• Water rushing straight through the pot.
• Soil that dries too quickly.

He notes that these are “all classic signs” that repotting may be necessary. Additional red flags include needing watering far more often than usual (such as every few days) or noticing that the soil has pulled away from the edges of the pot. These are clear indications that the soil mass may no longer be enough for the size of your plant’s root ball.

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What Happens If You Ignore the Signs?

Failing to give a root-bound plant a new home can lead to stalled development and declining vitality.

“If ignored, the plant can stop growing larger, start declining and could become vulnerable to pest infestations,” Mastaler cautions.

How Often Should You Repot?

There is actually no exact science to determining your repotting schedule. As Mastaler explains, it depends entirely on the particular plant and how quickly it is growing.

“Repot only when needed,” he says. “Every time you repot a plant, you risk damaging its roots.”

When the time is right, the best season to repot is usually when your plant is actively growing. “That is usually spring or early summer, but it can be any time of year,” he adds. “Avoid repotting when your plant appears to be dormant or resting between growth spurts.”

Tips for Repotting Without Stressing Your Plants

Because repotting can stress out your plants and potentially damage tender roots, you need to be as careful as possible.

Mastaler instructs, “Loosen your plant’s roots gently, use the right soil for your plant type and don’t jump up more than one pot size (typically, that’s one to two inches wider and deeper). Water thoroughly after repotting and give the plant some time to settle before expecting to see new growth.”

He prefers to work with moist, but not wet, potting soil so that the root ball holds together. “Then I water again after repotting to help the new soil settle in around the root ball.”

When selecting a new container, choosing a pot that is just one to two inches wider than your current one is crucial. As Mastaler warns, “oversized pots can lead to soil mass that stays wet for too long, and eventually that could lead to root rot.”

Sources:

• James Mastaler, PhD, Founder and CEO of Pistils & Pollen

This article has been adapted from How and When to Repot Your Houseplants so They Keep Growing Strong by Shelby Deering.