How to Transplant Plants

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Plants that have begun to outgrow their containers need to be transplanted in order to keep the plant healthy. Root bound plants often become unhealthy and slow growing. Take care when transplanting because doing so can be traumatic to your plants. By following a few simple steps, you'll ease the shock that the plant experiences during the transplant.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Fertilizer
New, larger container for the plant
Potting soil

Step1

Water your plants with a water soluble fertilizer several days before you plan to transplant them. Choose a fertilizer designed for transplanted plants if you can; otherwise, any good fertilizer will do. Apply the fertilizer according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Step2

Fill up the new, larger container with a good potting soil to about 2 inches below the top of the pot. Once you have the container filled up, saturate the new soil with water mixed with the same fertilizer you used on the plant. Eliminate all dry areas in the soil and then dig out a space the size of the plant in the new container.

Step3

Start the actual transplant by rolling the plant's old container in your hand to loosen up the soil on the sides of the pot. Place one hand over the pot top so that you have a hold of the plant at its base. Turn the pot over onto your hand and pull the root ball out, keeping the roots as intact as possible.

Step4

Place the plant into the new container. Arrange the roots of the plant so they are facing down. Fill in the spaces left in the pot with the soil you earlier watered and then took out of the new pot. Place the soil gently, but firmly around the roots and plant. Examine the soil for any cracks that can allow air to reach the roots.

Step5

Water the plant again so the soil is saturated but be careful not to overwater. Use the same water and fertilizer mix.

Step6

Place the plant in low light for several days. Continue with the plant's regular watering schedule for several weeks, but after that, you may need to adjust the watering and fertilizing schedules according to the plant's new needs.

Tips & Warnings

The process for transplanting is similar for moving outdoor plants from one area of the garden to another. In the case of outdoor plants, move them when they are at their most dormant state (late fall or early winter in most cases).
Don't pull on the stem of the plant to pull it from the old pot. This can cause trauma to the plant.