Transplanting Indoor Plants

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Whatever the quality of the soil, there comes a time when it is depleted, the resource of nutrients in it ends. This means that it is necessary to replace such soil with a new one, and then the plant has to be transplanted

Sometimes a transplant is necessary when changing a small, cramped flowerpot to a spacious one, and in some cases (in case of plant disease or pest damage), you have to resort to changing the soil in order to save the plant.

Most often, plants need replanting 1, 2 or 3 times a year. Spring is considered the best time to change the soil, as sufficient heat and light help the plants take root faster. But during flowering, replanting plants such as azalea and camellia, which bloom in spring, is not recommended because the buds may not develop. The first sign that helps to determine the need for replanting is an insufficient amount of soil in the pot: the roots are tightly woven, sometimes visible on the surface, but there is no soil. If such a plant is not transplanted in time, then first its growth will stop, and then it will die. And no fertilizers will help here.

Some housewives mistakenly believe that if the pot is spacious and there is a lot of land, and the plant constantly receives the necessary fertilizers and is well watered, then it does not need a transplant. Unfortunately, they forget that minerals accumulate in the soil, there is an excess of them, which is very harmful. Pay attention to the surface of the ground in the flower pot. White bloom indicates the need to change the soil, otherwise the plant may suffer.

If you decide to transplant a flower, keep in mind that the soil in the pot should not be dry, otherwise it will be difficult to remove the plant. The day before the scheduled procedure, water the soil, or better immerse the pot in a container of water. After the soil is soaked, carefully remove the plant from the pot, first tapping its walls against the edge of the table to avoid soil sticking. Shake off the roots from the lumps, remove the rotten and dead areas. Please note that the diameter of the new pot should be 2 - 3 cm larger than the previous one. Place small pebbles, expanded clay or clay shards at the bottom of the container so that the earth does not cover the drainage hole and excess moisture does not accumulate. Now you can pour some earth inside.

Place the plant in a pot, cover the roots with a suitable potting mixture, without adding a centimeter to the edge of the pot, compact and water abundantly so that all voids are filled. Further care consists in moderate watering without top dressing. As soon as the young leaves and shoots appear, you can start fertilizing the plants.

It so happens that it is difficult to transplant a large plant. Then, very carefully, so as not to damage the roots, remove the top layer of earth and pour in fresh mixture instead.

Growing vessels

When choosing a pot for an indoor flower, remember that it should not overshadow the beauty of the flower with its appearance, but emphasize it. The choice of a vessel for growing plants and the material from which it is made affects the further care of the flower. Consider the pros and cons of different flower pots.

The most popular, given their cheapness and beauty, are plastic products. They can be placed on the floor, window sills, shelves, hung by the window, on the wall, under the ceiling in baskets. They are lightweight and very convenient, especially when the pot is large and you have to carry or reposition it to another place. However, due to their lightness, the vessels with flowers may fall. On the one hand, it is good that the dense walls of the container retain water - plants can be watered less often, but there is a danger of waterlogging of the soil, accumulation of harmful minerals. The good thing about these pots is that if they fall, they don't break. But plastic vessels quickly deteriorate: they crack, lose color. Despite this, the colors and shapes of plastic pots satisfy the most sophisticated tastes of flower growers and designers: they even imitate stone vases.

Most often, tubs, boxes, barrels for palm trees, ficuses of other large plants are made of wood. Given the strength and endurance of wood, such vessels serve for years if the surface inside the containers is disinfected (you can burn it with a blowtorch), cover it with plastic wrap, and cover it with varnish, drying oil or paint the outside. Watch the humidity in the room: wood tends to dry out, and the container may break. Clay pots are heavier, more stable, it is better to plant tall plants with a lush crown in them. The walls of the vessel allow excess moisture to evaporate, which means that the flowers are not threatened with waterlogging, but they will have to be watered more often. If the surface of the clay is covered with glaze, the moisture will retain longer.

Unlike plastic pots, clay pots retain harmful minerals in their pores. Lime, salts settle on the walls in the form of a whitish coating and spoil the appearance of the pot. Typically, pottery is replete with moldings, which makes them attractive. Most often, pots are made from clay in the form of various sculptures, vases.