How to Transplant Agapanthus

Agapanthus are tender flowering perennials native to South Africa. They are grown most often as potted plants that are summered outside and brought indoors for the winter. They like to be crowded in their pots, but if they begin to produce fewer flowers than usual, it's time to transplant your agapanthus. The addition of Styrofoam peanuts beneath the potting soil has the effect of slightly raising the temperature of the soil in the pot, which make agapanthus grow like crazy.

Things You'll Need

• Plant pot 1 to 2 inches larger than plant's current one Styrofoam peanuts Newspaper Rich indoor potting soil with fertilizer 3/8 to ½ inch dowel at least 12 inches long Liquid water-soluble fertilizer

Instructions

1. Get a pot that is 1 to 2 inches larger than the pot your agapanthus is growing in. Put 2 inches of Styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of the pot. Cover peanuts with a piece of newspaper, folded to fit the inside diameter of the pot. The air pockets around the Styrofoam peanuts help keep the roots warm from the bottom up. The newspaper keeps the potting soil from filling in the air pockets around the peanuts.

2. Remove agapanthus from its current pot. Tip the pot sideways and rap the bottom edge on the ground. This should loosen the root ball and it will slide right out.

3. Carefully place root ball into new pot, centering it. Fill empty spaces in new pot with potting soil. Use the end of the dowel to tamp down the soil in the small area between the root ball and the edge of the pot. Firm the soil but do not compress it.

4. Water newly transplanted agapanthus to settle it into its new home. Let the water drain out of the bottom of the pot. When all of the water is drained, water again. This will ensure that the plant is thoroughly moistened.

5. Feed weekly with a liquid water-soluble fertilizer. Water the plant the day before you feed it to help the roots better absorb and utilize the nutrients in the fertilizer.

Tips & Warnings

• The best time of year to transplant agapanthus is in early spring.

• Agapanthus do not like cold weather, which could be fatal, so move indoors if temperatures dip into the 40s or lower.