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Spring time is such a busy time around the house with lots of tasks to do. In this article, we will provide a few tips for re-potting houseplants with success. Be sure to stay tuned to the short video at the bottom of this article for a visual demonstration sponsored by Espoma.

When to re-pot? If your plants are requiring frequent watering and looking to start suffering, it is important to consider replanting them. If plants are not actively growing because their planters are too small or the soil too old, you will often see some signs of the plants not looking so healthy. In this case, remove the plant from the pot to expose some the roots. If the roots are a tangled mess and reaching all edges of the planter, it is a good idea to re-pot the plant!

Choosing the right container? There are many options to consider here. The video below talks about using terracotta planters, and these are great because they allow for the soil to breathe more than plastic or glazed pots would. However, there are a few more things to consider when choosing the correct container. Do you move this plant outside at certain time of the year? If so, you will want to choose a planter with a drainage hole. When inside the home, just make sure you place a saucer beneath the plant to catch excess water. Do you need a lightweight option that is easy to move or reposition? If this is the case, then you will want to consider a plastic option, since they are a fraction of the weight that a ceramic pot the same size would be.

Choosing the correct mix? There are lots of mixes to choose from, so this can be an intimidating decision. Most of the time, houseplants will do great with an all purpose potting soil (or mix). These are lightweight blends that hold lots of water, which is perfect for containers both inside and out. As the video mentions below, there are mixes for African violets, succulents (or cactus), and also for orchids. These are important to use if you have any one of these specific plants. Also, you will want to consider organic versus traditional mixes. If planting herbs or other edibles, you may want to use an organic mix from Espoma. Traditional mixes from Miracle-Gro and other companies will use synthetic fertilizers. Even though fertlizers are a very small component of potting mixes, it is something to keep in mind!

Please watch this short video sponsored by Espoma for a demonstration of these steps!