Spring is here and “the world,” to quote E.E. Cummings, “is mud-luscious.” As gardeners, we are aware! We long to get out in the garden and sink our hands in the earth but know we must wait for drier, warmer soil. Put that urge to good use and pot up your houseplants–they too know spring is here. So gather your tools: your potting mix (more on this later), your clippers (for pruning stray roots and unruly branches), your trusty metal chopstick (myriad uses), a paper coffee filter (to cover the drainage hole), and your new pot.
Let us talk about pots for a moment. I favor terra cotta. Being porous, it “breathes” allowing the soil and plant roots to breathe as well. It is available in a range of sizes and the simple lines look proper with any houseplant. Should you want something with a less garden-variety vibe, there are many beautiful options in hand-thrown terra cotta to fall in love with. Try not to size up too much; increase the pot diameter by an inch or two at most.
For potting medium, I start with a bag of potting mix (not top soil) from the hardware store. Houseplants are prone to fungal diseases and root rot—the pathogens are always present, waiting for their opportunity to multiply. Your job is to prevent that from happening. Provide drainage and aeration by adding pumice to the potting mix. I quite like the results with ground pumice, but you could substitute perlite or vermiculite. This is dusty work, you should wear a mask. For most leafy houseplants, one part pumice to four parts potting mix works well. Your soil mix should be slightly, uniformly, damp, not soaking wet and not parched.
Cacti and succulents have a few more requirements. Before repotting they should be thoroughly dry and you should hold off on watering for a few days after repotting. This allows any broken roots to callous over. Use two parts pumice to one part potting mix.
Now you are ready. Spread some newspaper or a tarp over your work area. Run a blunt knife around the pot edges, lay it on its side, give it a few good raps and slide out your plant. You may need to provide encouragement by pushing through the drainage hole with your chopstick. This process can feel like a wrestling match but you will prevail.
Once your plant is freed, use your chopstick to gently separate the roots and carefully examine the root ball. Any dead roots should be snipped off. Cutting away some of the largest roots will not harm your plant and makes room for smaller roots to grow. These fine roots are your plant’s life lines, absorbing water and nutrition.
Put a slip of coffee filter paper over the drainage hole and add an inch or so of your potting medium to the bottom. Set your plant in and check the fit— leave room at the top so watering does not lead to flooding—and center your plant in the pot. Backfill with potting medium, tamping it down with your chopstick to prevent air pockets and ensure the roots have made contact with the soil.
If your plant is cramped but you simply love it, and the pot it is in, root pruning is in order. Root pruning sounds scary but it is not difficult. I have kept my Calamondin orange to a manageable size in a favorite pot for many years by root pruning.
You will need to add a sharp knife to your arsenal. I grab one from the kitchen (my family is very tolerant) but you may have a dedicated garden knife, just be sure it is clean: swab it and your clippers with rubbing alcohol. After you knock your plant out, set it on the newspaper. Take a deep breath to settle your nerves and cut equally from all sides and the bottom. Tease the roots loose and trim some more. “They” say you can take up to one third of the root ball, my maximum is one quarter. Replant using fresh potting mix. Prune to compensate for the root loss and to keep your plant a manageable size. Water it well and set it out of direct sunlight to give it a chance to recover. Move it back to its usual spot in a week. Et voila! You and your most-favored plant are good to go for a few more years.
Dorothy gardens in Belmont where she lives with her husband, Steve, and their two dogs, Rosie and Jasper. She has six grandchildren — all perfect by definition — and has enjoyed introducing them to gardening. She has an abiding interest in nature and is always amazed by the wonders to be found in her own backyard.