My asparagus fern has a tonne of roots growing out the bottom of the pot, but will repotting in October kill it? Should I wait until the spring? I have a couple of plants that are also starting to root out the bottom, but not as bad. Thoughts on repotting in fall? Thanks!
If she needs repotting, I’d repot her.
2 likes I heard it could stress a plant out if you repot in the fall (not growing season). Have you repotted in the fall/winter before and they fared well? I’m just terrified because I love the asparagus fern so much!
0 likes Yes, I guess it kinda matters where you live, too. I live in SE NC zone 8a and I have never had a problem. But if you live up north and where it’s cold already. I’d probably wait.
0 likes Yeah, I’m from upstate NY… I could always crank up the heat lol
1 likeIf the roots are that large it’s better to repot it, just keep the environment stable to give it the best chance
1 like
Roots coming out of the bottom doesn’t always mean it’s time for a repot. Roots follow the water so it’s pretty normal to see this. These can be so fussy, I would wait until early spring 😎
3 likes
I would also wait unless the plant is struggling from being root bound. It doesn’t look like it’s struggling. You have to pull off the pot to see all of the roots before determining if it needs repotting. The plant already has fungus gnats. This could be a sign it’s taking too long to dry out the soil. Adding more soil will only make it take longer to dry the soil. This leads to more gnats and root rot. 🍀🪴
2 likes Yeah, I got gnats when I moved… not sure how it happened, but I’m in the process of getting them taken care of (mosquito bits and sticky tabs). Will these roots get destroyed once I repot in the spring and, if so, how bad is that?
Those thin roots can be trimmed to get the pot off. I would pull off the pot now because of that thick root. It will be harder to remove the pot months from now when that large root gets thicker. Clipping those thin roots should not hurt your plant. The thick root would be my worry. So, pull off the pot the best way you can to see what’s going on inside the pot. Don’t wait until spring.
3 likes yowza! you might have to cut that pot off 😂
1 like That looks like a wick for a self watering pot and not a thick root. 😄 I’m so confused!😆🤪 That may be feeding moisture to the fungus gnat larvae.
0 likes OH! You’re right!! that’s def the wick. I am back to my original advice of not bothering with a repot lol
2 likes I have to agree.
0 likes