Repotting is an indispensable practice for the health and a lush growth of the plants. It is necessary to choose the right pot, the best time and the most appropriate season to help the roots to adapt more easily to the new conditions, without stressing for the change of environment.
The importance of plant repotting
Repotting is an indispensable practice for the health and a lush growth of the plants. In fact, in addition to the right amount of light, water and nutrients, it is necessary to ensure to the roots of potted plants a correct oxygenation and the proper space to develop.
Even the choice of the most suitable pot contributes to the well-being of the plant: other than the appropriate size of the root system and the plant itself, must be made of the right material.
Traditional earthenware pots, porous and breathable, help oxygenation, but in the hottest months they make the soil dry up faster and tend to disperse nutrients. Polyethylene vases, on the other hand, retain water and fertilisers better, which is why they require less frequent watering.
The best time to repot a plant
It is advisable to make the repotting of the plant immediately after buying: shops and garden centres often sell them in pots too small to grow well.
The next change of bedding is normally practiced every 2-3 years. Exceptions are some plants whose roots grow very slowly, or hedges, usually planted in pots much larger than necessary, just to avoid repotting.
It is also necessary to repot when the roots of the plant have developed until they come out from the drainage holes that are located on the bottom.
The best season for repotting
Every plant species has specific needs related to its own vegetative cycle. In any case, a good rule of thumb is to repot away from the period of growth or flowering.
In addition, repotting should be avoided when temperatures are too high or low. For this reason, for most plants, the right period for repotting is late autumn or early spring.
Choosing the suitable season, with a temperate climate, just before the plant goes into vegetative rest, helps the roots to adapt more easily to the new conditions, without stressing for the change of environment.
How to make a repotting in summer
In most cases, it is advisable to perform the repotting in summer only if the pot of a newly bought plant is too small, or in other emergency situations.
Moreover, summer is the most suitable time to repot winter flowering plants, such as cyclamen, many varieties of orchids, or plants that do not have flowers like the succulents.
To properly make a repotting in summer, choose the least warm hours of the day. In many cases it is useful to prepare the soil for detachment during the previous 24 hours, wetting it much more than usual.
Choose a pot a few centimeters larger and transfer the plant preserving most of the old brick, removing the excess soil that is not attached to the roots.
Place the plant in the new pot, filling the empty space with new soil, suitable to the needs of the plant and, if the weight of the pot allows it, shake it gently vertically to settle.
Finally, water again and cover the most superficial layer of the soil with a thin layer of peat or bark to keep it moist and permeable.
In copertina: Monacis - Rome Collection - Fioriera Liscia