To Pot or Not to Pot: Grow Pot vs Planter

To Pot or Not to Pot: Grow Pot vs Planter

Words by The Sill

Common Care Questions Next Article

So your constitute arrived in its nursery grow pot—now what?

When you lot bring your new plant home in its nursery grow pot, you might be tempted to pot information technology from grow pot into a planter right away. However, you'll exist more successful if you let your new plant acclimate to its new environment first. Why?

It might sound foreign to say well-nigh a plant but given the potential stress of acclimating to a new surroundings—adjusting to different light, levels of humidity, and temperature—you lot don't want to unroot your found at the same exact time. Think of its grow pot equally allowing it to staying safe in its original home for a while.

So starting time, place your plant in the spot you plan to continue information technology and let it acclimate for nigh 2-iii weeks. (If it'due south the the bound–summer growing season, you lot can shave off a few of those days to become it in a new planter sooner. More on that below.)

Subsequently this adjustment catamenia, you can make up one's mind to leave every bit is or fully pot it into a decorative planter. Think, potting a institute early on is optional: every bit long as it looks healthy and the roots take infinite to keep growing, yous don't need to lift a finger!

We pause downwards different plant parent preferences below, and what to look when assessing if it's time to pot your plant.

Why some adopt plant nursery grow pots

Some found parents prefer to keep their plants potted in their nursery abound pots within decorative planters for months, as long equally the plant all the same has room to grow. They practise this for a multifariousness of reasons, some of which you'll detect below:

  • Ease of watering: Grow pots have drainage holes so you don't have to be as mindful when y'all water
  • Added planter choice: Grow pots requite you the power to use decorative planters that don't accept drainage holes (à la cachepot) - the decorative planter serves as a saucer, catching excess water that drains out
  • Easier to move: Easily move your establish from one decorative pot to some other when refreshing your decor, without added weight
  • Time of year: If it'south autumn or winter, the plant is semi-dormant and growing deadening, so it doesn't need more room or new nutrients

About that concluding bullet… did you know fifty-fifty indoor plants can be on a seasonal schedule? The all-time time to repot your constitute, be it introducing a new planter or simply providing fresh new soil, is during the spring–summertime growing flavor. This is when plants will have the energy—thank you to more sun and longer days—to make use of the new nutrients in fresh soil and abound into the extra space of a new planter.

When to consider fully potting

And then at present that yous know you can keep your constitute in its grow pot if you prefer, here are some reasons why you'd want to eventually pot it into its planter, outside of aesthetic preferences.

  • It'southward grown up: Yous know your constitute has outgrown the nursery grow pot if...
  • Roots are growing through the drainage holes at the bottom of the grow pot
  • Roots are pushing the plant upwards, out of the grow pot
  • It'southward meridian heavy, and falls over easily
  • It's growing slower than normal (outside of winter dormancy)
  • The size of the found is 3 times or more the size of the grow pot
  • Dry potting mix: Your establish'south potting mix dries out more quickly than usual, requiring more frequent waterings
  • Information technology's the season: Your plant could use fresh potting mix and more than infinite for the spring–summer growing season
How to pot your establish

When the time comes to motility your plant from its plant nursery grow pot into its planter, here'south what you'll want handy in add-on to your plant and planter:

  • Fresh potting mix
  • Lava rocks or similar, if your planter does not have a drainage pigsty

We acquit apartment-friendly sized numberless of indoor potting mixes, as well every bit lava rocks, here. Or use your favorite all-purpose indoor potting soil for houseplants and container gardens. River rocks or gravel can be substituted for lava rocks. Essentially you're looking for something to create crevices at the bottom of the planter for excess h2o to puddle into, away from the constitute'due south roots. To learn more about why this is necessary, check out our video on drainage hither!

At present that you accept your supplies, here's the steps you lot need to take to movement your plant from its grow pot into its earthenware planter. (Prefer a visual? Watch our plant expert go through the motions hither!)

Steps to pot your establish

i. Remove establish from nursery abound pot
Turn your new constitute sideways, hold information technology gently past the stems or leaves, and tap the bottom of its grow pot until the establish slides out. You might need to give it a fleck of assistance with a couple gentle tugs on the base of the stems. If it's very secure, y'all can besides cut through the plastic grow pot with a scissors.

two. Loosen the roots
At present that yous've removed the abound pot, loosen the found'due south roots gently with your easily. You can clip off any threadlike roots that are extra long, just make certain to exit the thicker roots at the base of the foliage. If your establish is root bound – the roots are growing in very tight circles around the base of the plant – unbind the roots as best you can and give them a trim.

three. Remove some potting mix
Remove well-nigh one third or more of the potting mix currently surrounding the plant. As information technology grew in its grow pot, your plant removed some of the nutrients in the current mix, and then y'all'll want to give it fresh mix if you're potting it anyway!

4. Add new potting mix
Cascade a layer of fresh potting soil into the plant's new planter and pack information technology downwards, removing whatsoever air pockets. If your planter does not have a drainage hole, layer the lesser with lava rocks or similar before adding the potting mix to create crevices for the extra water to pool into.

5. Add your establish
Ready your plant that you removed from the grow pot on top of the fresh layer of mix in the new planter, making sure it's centered, and then add potting mix effectually the institute until information technology is secure. Exist certain not to pack besides much soil into the planter, equally you want the roots to breathe.

6. Water and bask
Even out the potting soil on acme, water well, and enjoy!

We've got y'all!

For some, the mantra 'plant intendance is self care' ways the convenience of leaving it in the nursery grow pot, while for others, it may hateful getting your easily dingy to repot. Nosotros say: do what works best for yous! Do non exist afraid to try different methods for different plants. And if you lot're overwhelmed and unsure—ask us. We're here to help.

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