Better Homes and Gardens host Charlie Albone shares his top tips for repotting your plants

Charlie Albone shares his top tips for repotting your plants

And how you can keep them happy and healthy in a new home!

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Potted plants are common in almost every garden no matter the size.

Life in a pot can be hard as it’s dry and confined, so every couple of years one of the best things you can do for your potted plants is to give them a refresh.

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1. Get prepped

It’s a messy business, so if your pots are not near a lawn, it’s a good idea to put down a tarp or an old sheet to prevent excessive mess and staining on your paving.

Roll your pot onto its side and prise the plant out of the pot. This method should protect the plants’ foliage as much as possible and be safer for your back. Take it slow and steady and try to prevent overstraining.

Catch Charlie on Better Homes and Gardens *(Credit: Supplied)*

2. Removing your plant

If you have a pot-bound plant, you may have to break the pot to get the plant out.

For those pot-bound plants, you’ll want to trim the roots with a sharp saw. For plants with a healthy root ball, rough up the edges of the mix with your hands, removing half to an inch of soil all the way around and on the underside too.

Repotting will help give your grenery a new lease on life! *(Credit: Supplied)*

3. Mix it up

Before the plant goes back into its pot or new larger vessel, you need to select a good potting mix.

Only pick something with a red tick on the package as this ensures it’s made from quality ingredients. Cheaper potting mixes may seem appealing but they are not fit for purpose.

The whole idea behind repotting is to give your plants better living conditions so they can grow to their optimum.

Update your interiors at the same time by choosing a fun new pot! *(Credit: Supplied)*

4. Repot the right way

When potting up, make sure your levels are right. Get enough potting mix under your plant to ensure when the root ball goes in there is about 75mm to the top of the pot.

This will allow for a layer of mulch 50mm thick and then space for water to sit rather than run off when you water.

You want to get the potting mix all the way around the root ball as well, so ensure it is centrally located and that you push the potting mix down the sides to remove any of the air spaces.

Charlie recommends using these products to repot *(Credit: Supplied)*

5. Maintenance

Once you’ve repotted, you can give the foliage some attention. Waiting until the plant is back in its pot will allow you to take off any damaged leaves that happened during the process, as well as any old, discoloured, or diseased ones.

6. Final Step

Before giving your freshly potted up plants a drink of water, make sure they’re up on their feet to ensure drainage out of the bottom.

Potting mix can have fine material that quickly clogs holes in the base of pots, especially when in contact with the ground. Raising the whole thing up will help to prolong the period these holes stay open for.