Johannesburg - Mid-winter is a great time to take a long and hard look at your indoor plants. Are the roots protruding from the drainage holes? Is the soil drying out too quickly or does it sit on the surface of the soil for too long? Does your plant look top heavy? Identify those which need to be repotted into new containers?
The answers to these questions are important clues as to whether your plants need repotting.
Pot-bound container plants don’t thrive. Their growth becomes stunted and they may not flower at all. The best way to rejuvenate them is to give them a new home.
Most container plants will need repotting every two or three years but faster growers may need repotting earlier.
There are two ways to give a container plant a new lease on life – potting-on or containment pruning. Containment pruning is advisable when you can no longer pot-on as pots are too heavy, too large or too expensive to replace.
The process involves pruning the roots so they fit back into the container with enough room for new potting mix around them. The same amount of top growth is pruned off the plant to compensate. Never prune roots or stems when growth has stopped.
Here are a some good reasons to repot your indoor plants this weekend and step-by-step instructions on how to do it.
Recognising the symptoms of overcrowding and knowing how to repot a plant are key if you want to maintain a healthy indoor garden.
A plant that needs to be repotted will show these signs:
* Roots will appear on the soil surface or emerge from the drainage holes in a twisted mass;
* The plant will begin to produce new leaves that are smaller than average;
* Leaves will wilt between normal watering days; and
* Lower leaves will turn yellow.
Planting up
If you spot these signs, you will need to repot your plant. What should you consider:
* Choose a pot one, or at most, two sizes larger than the plant’s original container;
* Avoid planting directly into a container that has no drainage holes. A waterlogged pot encourages root rot; and
* Commercial potting soil is the best medium for indoor plants. It is light, drains well, and has been sterilised to eradicate disease and weeds. Never use ordinary garden soil. The average garden soil has a low percentage of organic matter and will compact easily, suffocating roots.
How to repot:
* Wet the soil of your plant before trying to prise it out of its pot. Moist soil will help the plant to slip out easily;
* Set the plant on its side. Hold the main stem with your left hand and use your right hand to gently tap the rim of the pot with a hammer. Give the pot a turn and repeat. The aim is to separate the pot from the plant;
* Once the plant is free, untwist matted roots by combing them with a fork;
* In the old days, gardeners placed a layer of pebbles or broken piece of crockery over the drainage holes of the larger pot. Today, geotextile filter mats can be placed across drainage holes at the base of a container. Used by the civil engineering industry for decades, geotextiles are manufactured from 100 percent polyester fibres and provide far more reliable drainage than stones or gravel;
* Secure the plant in the new pot ensuring the soil surface is 1cm or 2cm below the rim. Add potting soil mixture to the sides and bottom. Press the soil down the sides to eliminate air pockets;
* Smooth a thin layer of potting soil over the top surface to cover exposed roots, and water thoroughly.
* To conserve water in your indoor plant, spread a mulch layer of bark chips or pebbles across the top of the soil.
Saturday Star