Why is this happening?
As the foliage and branches of your plants grow, so too will the root system. In order for your plants to continue growing, they'll need to be repotted occasionally.
Symptoms
Roots have started to grow out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot
It’s top heavy and easily falls over - The foliage has grown large in proportion to the soil volume.
The roots have created a compact mat on the inside of the pot. You can check this by carefully unpotting your plant
The plant dries up too quickly
What to do now
Water the plant This will help loosen the soil from the pot.
Remove the pot Gently take hold of the plant and start to loosen the pot, avoiding pulling on the trunk or branches. If it’s hard to get the pot off, you can run a knife along the inside of the pot or tap and press on the sides.
Check the roots Check the roots and remove any potential dead, moldy or rotten parts. If both the soil and the roots look healthy, avoid touching the root ball to avoid stressing your plant. If there are thick, coiled roots, carefully loosen them with your fingers.
If you have to use the same pot again, shake the soil off and cut away about 20% of the roots. Only trim the roots of healthy plants during the growing season as it's stressful to the plant. It might be needed to prune the foliage too to balance things out.
Choose a pot Pick a pot with drainage holes.
Pour soil in the bottom of the pot Add soil to the bottom of the pot. The root ball and soil surface should be placed slightly under the edge of the pot - if you place it too high your pot will overflow when watering. Bury the stem at the same point it was before to avoid potential rot or other issues.
Place your plant in the pot Place the plant on the soil and check that it’s centered before you start adding more soil. Adjust by adding more soil to the bottom as needed.
Add soil Add soil around the plant: gently press down to firm it up (not compact it) and check that your plant is not planted deeper than it was before.
Water Water the plant to hydrate the soil throughout.
More soil? Sometimes you need to add more soil after watering. Make sure that your plant has enough soil around its roots before you are done. No roots should be exposed to the air.
After repotting Just keep watering— following Planta’s care schedule as normal. Remember that repotting can be stressful for a plant, so it may take some time for it to adjust to the change. If the soil doesn't dry up enough, snooze the next watering task as needed.
Common questions
Can I use the same pot again?
Yes, this is sometimes okay. If you don’t want your plant to grow much bigger, or if you just don’t have the room for a bigger pot. However, if your plant had issues with fungus or pests, make sure to thoroughly clean the pot before re-using it.
I bought a nice pot, but it doesn't have drainage holes
Plant it in a plastic pot with drainage holes first, and then place this in the nice pot without holes. It the plant sits too deep in the cachepot you can fill it up with some LECA and place the inner pot on top of it. Otherwise, drill a hole in the cachepot so you can use it on its own.
What soil should I use?
It depends on the plant. Make sure to check this in the plant Info in the app.