How to Repot a Plant Without Killing It

Whether you have a green thumb or you’re a novice plant parent, if you grow greenery to enhance your interiors, you’ll have to learn how to repot a plant at some point. According to Tyler Banken—indoor-outdoor plant expert and landscape architect at Neverland, an online plant care community—the majority of potted plants will need to be repotted at least once in their lifetime. The process is the same for indoor and outdoor plants.

Repotting is not difficult, but how you proceed can either help a houseplant grow or stunt it. Here, experts give tips on the best way to repot plants and how to care for them in their new pot.

When should you repot a plant?

“People believe that a plant must be repotted immediately upon bringing it home, and this practice couldn’t be further from the truth,” says Christopher S. Raimondi, CEO and president of Raimondi Horticultural Group in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey.

The first step in properly repotting your plant is deciding if it’s actually time to repot. “A plant only needs to be repotted when it indicates that it’s struggling,” he explains. “Its growth is slowed and the roots are overcrowded.” Also, check to see if the internodal leaf space is shortening—this means the leaves are closer together. Before you grab a new container, consider this: Plant health could be linked to soil and improper fertilization.

A surefire sign that a plant is ready for a larger home is visible roots—either at the top of the soil or through the pot’s drainage hole, notes Lindsay Pangborn, Bloomscape’s gardening expert. You can also check by gently removing the root ball from the pot. “If roots are growing in circles around the outside, this means it’s root-bound, and it’s time to bump up a pot size,” she says.

Another way to know whether you need to repot is to check the water flows when you’re watering. “As a plant grows, the soil slowly breaks down, and the roots take up more space,” Pangborn says. She adds that a healthy root ball has plenty of soil surrounding the roots, which will absorb and hold on to moisture. On the other hand, a root-bound plant no longer has enough soil to retain moisture, and water flows immediately through the pot.

If it is truly time to repot your plant, these are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Select the right pot