How To Pot Your Plants

Moving is hard. The excitement of finding a new home is quickly replaced with the stress of the actual move which can seem like an impossible task. We get it - a pot is no house. But potting and repotting your plants can still cause a lot of stress. We want to simplify that process by breaking it down to a few easy steps.

When to Repot Your Plants

Plants grow. And with growing plants come growing needs. But when is the best time to repot? Repotting for decorative purposes is okay, but uprooting too often can put unnecessary stress on the plant’s growth. The best tell is to look at the roots. Roots coming out of the bottom of the pot means they need more space and more room to grow. This is also true of bound roots that often grow in a circular fashion in the shape of the pot. To put it plainly: The roots will tell you when they are ready to be uprooted.

Selecting a Pot

Finding the pot is the fun part. Funky designs and shapes make the inner designer sing and get the creative juices flowing. There are a lot of different materials like terracotta, cement, ceramic, and wood that help a plant thrive. While the materials and designs can vary, the main thing to take into consideration is drainage. A pot with drainage is highly recommended. If a pot doesn’t have a hole for drainage, we recommend a Lazy planting by simply placing the nursery pot directly into a non-draining pot. That way when you need to water, the nursery pot can be easily removed to drain any excess water. 

Use Well-draining Soil

Like building a home, foundation is everything. High quality, well-draining soil is essential in giving your plant the foundation it needs to succeed. If using a store-bought cactus and succulent mix, we recommend adding perlite to help with drainage and keep the soil from retaining too much water. 

Massage Roots

Speaking of foundations, establishing roots is key to any new home, especially when it comes to plants. When removing the plant from its original pot, massage the roots gently. This allows the roots to spread out and gives the plant the best chance to ground itself in the new soil.

Center Your Plant

Once the roots are nice and loose, place the plant in the middle of the pot, which should be partially filled with soil. It’s best to keep the plant centered and fill in the rest of the soil evenly around it, making sure the plant is deep enough in the soil for stability, but not so deep that the leaves would get wet when watering. 

Dress Them Up 

When the plant is happily secured in its new home, the last step is making it shine. An easy way to make a plant pop is by adding top dressing to the soil such as rocks, pebbles, or sand. Pretty as well as practical, top dressing can add stability to plants, while also aiding in temperature regulation and preventing rot. Oh...and did we mention they’re also pretty?

Whether receiving a brand new plant right out of the box or moving a longtime companion that outgrew its original home, potting and repotting is key to plant prosperity. And like most plants that we deal with, once the plant is secured in its new home, a little light and intermittent watering is all it should need to grow the Lazy way.