Repotting for Beginners

Whether your plant has outgrown its current pot or you're looking to upgrade your "planterior decor", we've got a few tips and tricks to make the potting process a breeze. Ready to get your hands dirty?

Plants 101

How do you know when it's time?

If you notice your plant has become a bit top heavy or the roots are poking through the bottom, it may be time to repot your plant and we're here to help every step of the way!

Signs your plant is ready

Keep an eye out for the following indicators that your plant is telling you it needs a new home.

• The roots have outgrown the pot. You might notice that the roots are starting to peek through the drainage holes or poke out of the top layer of soil.

• Your plant isn't shown any improvement in growth. This can be due to your plant not having enough space to grow any bigger than the pot size will allow it. Roots need space in order to grow and keep your plant healthy.

• Your plant has become top heavy and will fall over easily. This can be due to the plant to pot ratio being off if your plant is getting too big for the pot size it's in.

• Your plant's soil is drying out faster than usual and you've noticed a need to increase watering.

• The younger the plant, the more often you'll have to repot because it's continuously growing.

If you have a more mature plant, it won't need to be repotted as much because it has well-established roots.The best time to repot is during the growing season, which is the spring and summer time.

Finding the Perfect Pot

When repotting, make sure to go up a pot size to ensure your plant has enough room to grow. You'll only want to go up about 1-2" in pot size because too much space can cause watering issues.

Make sure your pot has drainage holes! This is very important for watering because it allows the excess water to seep thru the bottom so your plants aren't left waterlogged. Need some pot inspo? We carry a variety of different pot styles and sizes, as well as the popular WallyGro pot - These are recycled vertical garden wall planters that are stylish and easy to use.

Good Soil is Key!

In order to properly repot, you'll have to buy the right soil for your plant. If you're unsure of the exact soil to use, you can check out your local garden store for a generic potting mix that should work just fine. You can also find a premium aroid mix that we make in our greenhouse available on our website. Plants love fresh soil and repotting it provides them with new soil nutrients to help grow and flourish.

When repotting, add soil in the pot about 3/4 of the way thru so you can leave room for the plant and extra soil to top it off. Once you remove your plant from it's current pot, make sure to carefully untangle and clean off the roots so they can properly grow in their new pot. During this step, be careful not to damage the root system

Add Your Plant & Enjoy!

Once your roots are cleaned off and untangled, you can go ahead and put it in it's new pot. You can gently add soil around the top and pat down. Make sure there's enough soil in the pot to where your plant is tightly packed in. After your plant is situated in its new pot, you can give it some water and leave it for a little bit so it can adjust. Don't be startled if you notice a couple of lost leaves as your plant settles into it's new pot - It's simply acclimating to it's new home!

Additionally, we're always here if you need some help! Don't hesitate to reach out to our support team (support@bwhplantco.com) or ask some questions next time you're at our retail store. We love talking plants and helping out our BWH Fam!