How to Transplant Houseplants

Houseplants need light, water, fertilizer and an occasional bigger home for their roots to grow. Here is how to transplant your houseplants into bigger pots, which will allow them to continue growing without becoming pot-bound.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plant pot
• Small rocks or pebbles
• Houseplant potting soil
• Newspaper

1. Spread newspaper on surface you'll be using to make cleanup easier. Have all of the materials needed at hand.

2. Place small stones or pebbles (must be larger than the holes in the bottom of the new plant pot) in new plant pot, then add 1 inch of potting soil.

3. Take the plant you wish to transplant and gently turn it sideways, using your hand to keep the plant from falling out. Remove dead leaves, stems or stalks. Gently grasp the plant by the soil line and gently remove the entire plant with soil onto the newspaper. It is beneficial for the plant to lose most of the old soil, since the nutrients have most likely been depleted. Loosen the old soil from the roots, but do so gently so as to not damage the roots.

4. Place the root and plant into the new plant pot. You need to have it planted at the same level on the stalk as it was before, so you may need to place more soil in the bottom of the pot to adjust the plant height.

5. Fill in around the plant roots with soil, gently tamping it down to force out any air pockets. Continue filling the pot with soil until the soil is up to the top of the roots but at the bottom of the stalk.

6. Water the newly transplanted houseplant with room temperature water. Put it back in the location it was in.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also use styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of the plant pot instead of pebbles, but don't use many because they take up more space and water will drain right out if there are too many of them.
• Wait one week after transplanting the plant to fertilize; this allows the plant to acclimate and send out new roots to welcome the nutrients.
• If you are using a pot that has been previously used, wash it thoroughly and rinse with a fairly strong bleach and water solution to kill any remaining bacteria, mold or mildew that might remain.