Things You'll Need:
- Plants
- Pots
- Hand digger (spade)
- Gloves
- Potting soil
- Packing Peanuts
- Ribbons and misc. decor for finished pots
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Step 1
If your house plant looks over crowded in the pot, roots coming out of the hole in the bottom, or has some dead parts that need to be removed, it is time to repot. Find a pot that is two inches larger than the existing pot to use. If you are repotting a very large plant, there are many inexpensive plastic or resin decorative pots that you can find at places like dollar stores and Old Time Pottery. Large clay and porcelain ones are beautiful but very heavy and hard to move once filled with soil.
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Step 2
You don't need fancy garden gloves - use disposable latex or rubber gloves. Weather permitting, repot outside on the ground and that way you can be as messy as you want. If this is not an option use a large table, workbench, or on your kitchen sink area. Lay down a cheap plastic tablecloth on your work surface. This can be used over and over. Lay your potted plant on its side, tap side with your hand, turn and repeat. This loosens the soil from the edges. If it still isn't loose enough to remove, take a large knife and run around edge, then tap.
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Step 3
Your new container should have a hole(s) in the bottom. If you are using a large fancy container (sometimes I use large wicker baskets) that is going to house your actual pot, put a garbage bag inside as a liner to protect it. If you have a bottom under your new pot, you may over water and it would run over into the large one.
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Step 4
Drainage is important because you don't want the roots sitting in over saturated soil. To keep this from happening put something in bottom of pot before adding soil. Many people use gravel, but that adds weight. I like to use packing "peanuts" which work really well. Depending on the size of the pot, just put enough in to cover bottom plus. If you fertilize your plants on a regular basis (not too much or you will kill them), you don't need to purchase the expensive type with built-in time released fertilizer. It is at least twice the price. If you want, use a large spoon to scoop soil into pot. I like to use my hands.
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Step 5
After taking your plant out of old pot, pull off or cut dead or ratty looking leaves. Depending on the type of plant you can cut back the roots, (Boston fern is one, but I would check on line to find out if the plant you have can be done this way). Sometimes you can even put it back in the same pot after adding a little more soil. If you are separating the plant to make several pots, don't pull apart, use a knife. Add a few inches of soil on top of packing peanuts or gravel. Make sure you put just enough in so that when the plant is in, the top(s) is above the pot. Spread out the roots on top of the soil and then add soil to fill pot. Make sure plant is centered. Press down soil around plant. Add water a little at a time until it starts coming out the bottom. Do the watering in a sink if you are inside the house. Press down the soil again. You may need to add a little more soil after it starts leveling out. If available, spray outside of pot gently with water to clean it off. You can also lightly spray leaves. Put pot in saucer.
