When to Re-pot House Plants
Chalet’s Tony Fulmer was featured on the WGN Midday News (Feb. 16, 2009) answering the question, “When to re-pot houseplants.” Many people either wait too long to re-pot, causing the roots to crowd and break the pot; or they re-pot too often. Fulmer said the general guideline is that the soil mass should be at least 50% roots, half and half, in the pot. Re-pot gradually, around one-inch increase at time, never more than two inches. Also, consider the type of plant and what kind of pot it would thrive best in. For example, a terra-cotta or clay pot would be best for a cactus or succulent, whereas tropical plants might do better in a plastic container so the soil mass is kept evenly moist. Fulmer also recommends never using pots that don’t have drainage holes – as you’d never know if you’re over-watering until it’s too late.
See the video of Chalet’s Tony Fulmer on Re-potting House Plants on WGN.