Repotting and fertilizing houseplants

Repotting and fertilizing

So, spring is here. After a long, exhausting winter, warm sunbeams are peeking out at us again and nature is waking up from its winter sleep. Houseplants may not have slept through the winter quite as much, but their season of lush growth is only just beginning too. To give them enough strength and nutrients, we should repot them and start feeding them more or less regularly. Other important advice and tips for spring are summed up in this article; here we will focus mainly on the repotting and fertilizing mentioned above. Get your repotting mat ready and let’s get started.

Does your plant need repotting?

You don’t have to repot every single plant just because spring has arrived. Some houseplants are not too fond of it. Which ones? For example, pothos plants such as Epipremnum and Scindapsus prefer being nice and snug in their planter and rootbound all the way around. The same goes for Zamioculcas and Sansevieria. Plants of the genus Hoya don’t need repotting that often either; try simply adding fresh potting mix or compost on top. If they look happy and their roots are not yet growing out of the planter’s drainage holes, there’s no rush.

On the other hand, if a plant is sickly, grows slowly and its planter looks as if the roots are about to burst it, repot it at any time of year. After all, we repot plants for you nonstop all year round, so that you can buy them from us already potted in quality potting mix with good drainage.

 

Photo: A plant needs repotting when its root system has filled the whole planter or when roots are coming out at the top. Some plants should be repotted every 2 years.

 

Which potting mix should you choose?

Gone are the days when only one type of all-purpose potting mix was sold for all houseplants. As the range of plant species on offer grew, so did the demand for special potting mixes that help houseplants thrive as well as possible. The goal is to achieve the most suitable soil pH, find the right balance of nutrients and get the right water permeability.

It is best to look up at least basic information about the specific plant. You can choose your plants at our store in Prague 8, where we will advise you on how to care for them and can even repot them for you while you wait.

Moisture-loving plants will do well in a potting mix that soaks up water and holds it for several days, while for plants that like it dry, choose one that drains water well and dries quickly. Different plant species naturally have different requirements for the quality of their potting mix. If you are not sure about the exact ratios of potting mix ingredients, don’t despair. You don’t necessarily have to mix it yourself at home; you can buy ready-mixed potting mix directly from us.

 

Potting mix for orchids

Orchids are a special case in their requirements: you should water them with soft, decalcified water and grow them in special containers designed for them. The potting mix must be very airy and free-draining, and its components must break down slowly. The roots need access to light and air. A mix of coconut chips, pine bark, sphagnum moss and our all-purpose potting mix works best.

 

Potting mix for succulents

Cacti and succulent-type plants cannot stand being waterlogged. That is why you must make sure they are planted in a free-draining, airy and light potting mix. You can achieve this by mixing soil with coarse sand, perlite and small pebbles. Or simply buy our ready-mixed succulent potting mix, which we make for you by hand.

 

Photo: We remove part of the top layer of potting mix and gently loosen the roots from below and on all sides. Be careful not to damage the roots; some plants are more sensitive to this.

 

Potting mix for aroids

For plants of the arum family, home to most of the best-loved houseplants, a great potting mix is one that is well aerated yet still holds some water. It is made from a mix of peat, sand, perlite and coconut husks. All monsteras, philodendrons, plants of the genus Epipremnum, aglaonemas and syngoniums will thrive in it. We also make our own special aroid potting mix for you.

 

Zeolite potting mixes

Mineral zeolite potting mixes, which are made by mixing zeolite with other volcanic materials, have the advantage that plants grown in them practically never need repotting. This type of potting mix does not get heavy or compacted and does not need loosening at all. It is non-toxic, and neither mold nor insects, such as pesky fungus gnats, take hold in it. If these annoying flies or other pests are familiar to you too, you will find plenty of tips on how to deal with them in this article. Zeolite potting mixes are also the best choice for hydroponic growing.

 

Photo: Don’t forget to add a drainage layer of expanded clay (LECA) for better drainage. The plants then breathe better inside too, and their roots are less likely to rot from overwatering. Cover the expanded clay with fresh potting mix and then add the plant.

 

Don’t forget perlite

Most houseplants will appreciate it if you also mix perlite into their potting mix. Perlite is made from volcanic glass that has been heat-treated. It consists of small white grains that are very porous, and we can use them to aerate the soil, improve drainage and reduce the weight of the potting mix. It is an excellent helper against root rot, and you certainly can’t go wrong with it.

 

Photo: Press the new potting mix down firmly on all sides. Make sure the plant sits well in the planter and cannot wobble loose. For most plants, a regular potting mix with added perlite is enough.

 

So how do you repot?

You have chosen a plant that needs repotting and have a suitable potting mix with added perlite ready, so what now? Replace the plant’s potting mix with fresh mix. That means gently loosening the roots with your hands and removing the old soil from the surface.

Get a new, clean planter with drainage holes ready to repot into. If the plant was well rooted and the roots filled a large part of the old planter, plant it in a bigger one now, at least one to two sizes larger. Put a layer of expanded clay at the bottom. Expanded clay is not a naturally occurring material; like perlite, it is made by thermal expansion, in this case of clay. It consists of light reddish-brown balls that act as drainage and so prevent root rot.

Now just pour a thin layer of potting mix on top of the layer of expanded clay and set the plant on it. Fill in fresh potting mix all around it, press lightly, and you’re done.

“Sometimes a plant is so rootbound all around the old planter that I’m almost afraid to disturb the roots. So I just take it out of the old planter, put it in a container of water to soak well, and after a few minutes I put it in a new, bigger planter with a drainage layer at the bottom and fill in fresh potting mix. This method is also recommended for repotting Calathea plants, which don’t like having their roots disturbed more than necessary either…” - Bětka

And what about watering?

How much and how soon to water after repotting depends on the conditions the plant was in before you repotted it. If it was dry and could have used watering even before, don’t be afraid to water it. But if it was waterlogged, it will be better off without watering, in fresh potting mix that can slowly absorb the excess moisture.

For the first watering after repotting, try mixing a weak solution of water and lignohumate, which helps the plant take root. It is said that the solution should be the color of weak black tea. Lignohumate stimulates the development of the root system, both in mature plants and when rooting new seedlings and cuttings. It improves plant health because it helps the plant make better use of nutrients from the potting mix and water, so the plant will be more resistant to pests and diseases. It does no harm to water with this solution now and then during the growing season too.

“I swear by lignohumate. I root all my cuttings in its solution with water, I water all my plants with it now and then, I wipe their leaves with a damp cloth soaked in this solution, and last fall I even watered freshly planted tulip bulbs in planters with it. And so far it looks like a rich crop of flowers in the garden too!” - Bětka

 

Photo: Lignohumate is a special product that you can use all year round. It supports root growth, and after repotting it is recommended to use it for several weeks instead of regular fertilizers.

 

Do we really have to fertilize?

Absolutely. When plants lack the nutrients and micronutrients they need, we may not notice it right away, but over time their growth slows, new leaves are smaller and the plant becomes more prone to disease. For a healthy, lush look, we need to give it a dose of fertilizer every now and then. Simply mix a measure of liquid fertilizer (depending on the type of plant) into the water in your watering can and water the plant (follow the exact instructions on the label). But remember that the potting mix should not be completely dry when you fertilize. Otherwise the plant could not take up all the nutrients it needs, and such fertilizing could even burn its roots.

Another option, which takes almost no work, is fertilizer cones. Just push a few cones into the potting mix (depending on the size of the planter; follow the instructions on the label) and water as often as usual. The cones release nutrients slowly and evenly.

The most common repotting mistakes

Don’t be afraid of repotting; practice makes perfect. Just watch out for the mistakes listed below and you are sure to succeed.

• damaging the roots more than necessary: you don’t have to clean every last crumb of the old soil off the plant
• repotting a heavily rootbound plant into a planter of the same size: always use a slightly bigger planter
• repotting a moisture-loving plant into terracotta: terracotta is a porous material that dries out quickly, which is undesirable for moisture-loving plants
• repotting a plant into a planter without drainage: hopefully nobody will do that after reading this article

So we’re keeping our fingers crossed that you and your plants welcome spring in style and that you get them ready for the new growing season as well as possible.

 

Author: Ing. Alžběta Lacinová