In cases in which a plant is definitely ailing
as a result of being too closely confined, it is necessary to repot
that individual plant. As a rule, however, it is more efficient if you
are growing a good number of house plants to arrange to repot all those
plants that look as though they are going to need it at one time. The
best season to do this job is in the spring before the plants go
outside.
1) Arrange the plants you are going to repot on a table in order of pot
size so that you work from the largest to the smallest. You do this so
that as a pot is emptied it is ready to receive the plant from the next
smallest pot, and so on down the line. At the same time set out your
potting soil, plant food, charcoal, gravel and crocking.
A wooden slat or potting stick which can be used to settle the soil is
also useful. If you are going to use any new pots, have them soaking in
water from the previous day to get rid of any impurities and to make
sure that they won't immediately absorb a large part of the water meant
for the plant. (You will obviously have to have at least one new pot to
take the plant from the biggest one in use up to this time.)
Just-used pots should be thoroughly scrubbed as they are emptied,
before a new plant is set into them.
2) As you work along, set a two-inch layer of crocking and gravel in
the largest pots to act as drainage material. All but the smallest pots
should have at least a few pieces of crocking in the bottom. In all
pots which do not have a drainage hole, this is especially important.
These pots should also have on top of the drainage material a layer of
peat humus and a generous sprinkling of charcoal to keep the soil from
going sour. Both peat and charcoal are available commercially at the
same stores your other garden supplies can be bought, and they are both
inexpensive and easy to work with.
3) Fill the pot into which you are transferring the plant about a
quarter to a third of the way up with potting soil, then turn the plant
out of the old pot. If there are pieces of crocking sticking to the
roots remove them and shake off any loose soil clinging to the ball.
Place the ball in the center of the new pot and, still holding on to
it, sift in soil around the roots.
The potting stick is useful here to
make sure that there are no gaps in the soil and that it is packed in
firmly. Remember to allow enough space at the top for watering. When
the plant is firmly in place, give it a thorough watering. It is also
wise at this time to administer some plant food. Follow the same
procedure with each plant until you come to the last one.
Repotting is a helpful and necessary procedure in keeping up the health
of your house plants. It mustn't be overdone, however. Potting a plant
in a pot which is too big for it can be just as disastrous as letting
it stay in a pot too small. An overly large pot holds water for too
long and can rot the roots of the small plant unable to use the
moisture.
Top dressing
With extra large plants and extremely sensitive ones which will not
take repotting you can employ a substitute remedy known as top
dressing. Here you scratch off the surface soil down as far as you can
go without exposing the roots. Then refill with an enriched potting
soil and add a strong diet of
plant food. The enriched soil will pass
food down to the roots and if the plant has been suffering from lack of
nutriment it will revive.
