How to Repot Houseplants

Repotting is one of those jobs most of us put off for too long. Meanwhile the roots pack the pot solid and the plant stops growing.

The good news is it only takes about ten minutes a plant, and it makes a real difference. Here’s how to tell when a plant needs a bigger home, and how to pick the right pot and compost.

How to tell when a houseplant needs repotting

Your plant is asking for a new pot when roots poke out of the bottom, water rushes straight through, or it stops growing in spring and summer. Here’s what to look for.

Roots out of the drainage holes. The most obvious sign. The roots have filled every bit of space inside and need more room.

Water runs straight through. If water pours out the bottom seconds after watering, the pot is so full of roots there’s hardly any compost left to hold it.

Top-heavy and toppling. A plant that keeps falling over has outgrown its pot. This is common with tall indoor plants like fiddle leaf figs and rubber plants.

Not growing. If a plant has stopped putting out new leaves in spring or summer, despite good light and water, it’s probably pot-bound. Slide it out of the pot and take a look.

Roots circling the surface. Roots spiralling on top of the compost or pressed round the sides have nowhere left to go.

White crust on the compost. A white crusty layer on top is a build-up of minerals from old, tired compost.

Roots coming out of the drainage holes is the clearest sign a plant needs more room. Water rushing straight through is another.

When is the best time to repot houseplants

Spring is the best time. Between March and May, longer days and warmer rooms get most houseplants growing again. Roots disturbed now settle into fresh compost within a few weeks.

Summer is fine too, though heat on top of the upheaval can cause wilting. Keep the plant out of direct sun for a week afterwards.

Autumn and winter are best avoided unless you really have to. Most houseplants are resting, so the roots don’t grow into the compost or dry it out. That raises the risk of rot.

The exception is an emergency. If a plant has root rot, pests in the soil, or a broken pot, repot straight away whatever the season.

Just bought a new plant? Give it two or three weeks to get used to your home before you repot it. That way it doesn’t get two upsets at once.

Step-by-step guide to repotting a houseplant

Here’s how to do it. The whole job takes about ten minutes.

Step 1: Water the day before. Damp roots bend rather than snap. Don’t repot a bone-dry plant.

Step 2: Choose the new pot. Pick one 2-5cm wider than the old one, with drainage holes. Wash it if it’s been used before. Soak terracotta in water for half an hour first, so the clay doesn’t suck the moisture out of the fresh compost.

Step 3: Add some compost to the bottom. Put 2-3cm of fresh compost in the base. There’s no need for crocks or gravel. They don’t help drainage, they just move the wet zone higher up the pot.

Step 4: Slide the plant out. Turn the pot upside down, supporting the plant at the base of its stem. Tap the bottom firmly. If it’s stuck, run a knife round the inside edge. With a flexible plastic pot, give the sides a squeeze.

Step 5: Loosen the roots. If the roots are wound round tightly, tease them apart gently with your fingers, especially at the bottom. This helps them grow out into the new compost instead of carrying on in circles.

Step 6: Set the plant in place. Sit the plant on the compost in the new pot. The top of the root ball should be 1-2cm below the rim, so water doesn’t spill over. Add or remove compost underneath until it’s right.

Step 7: Fill around the sides. Add compost round the root ball, firming it gently with your fingers. Don’t press it down hard. Keep the stem at the same depth it was before.

Step 8: Water lightly. A gentle drink settles the compost round the roots. Let it drain fully. Don’t drench it.

Step 9: Give it a quiet week. Keep it in bright light out of direct sun for 5-7 days while the roots settle, then move it back to its usual spot.

Tease out tightly wound roots at the bottom so they grow out into the new compost. Water the day before so they bend rather than snap.

Can you repot a houseplant into the same pot?

Yes. Trim the roots and put the plant back in its old pot with fresh compost. This is handy for plants that are already as big as you want, or large plants in heavy pots. The RHS guide to repotting suggests taking off up to a quarter of the outer roots. Slide the plant out and slice away a layer of roots from the sides and bottom with a clean knife. Cut off any dead or mushy roots too. Add fresh compost to the bottom, set the plant back at the same depth and fill round the sides. Do this in spring, so new roots grow quickly.

Trimming off up to a quarter of the outer roots lets a plant go back into its old pot with fresh compost. Spring is the time to do it.

How to choose the right pot for houseplants

Pick a pot with drainage holes, 2-5cm wider than the old one, in a material that suits how damp the plant likes its roots.

Terracotta breathes, letting air and water pass through the walls. It dries out faster than plastic, which suits plants that hate wet feet, like succulents and cacti. Large terracotta pots are heavy and can break.

Plastic is light, cheap and stays damp for longer. That’s good for plants that like steady moisture, such as ferns and calatheas, but not for succulents.

Glazed ceramic looks lovely but holds water like plastic. Always check for drainage holes, as many decorative pots don’t have them.

Fabric pots are light and let lots of air reach the roots. They dry out quickly and suit fast growers.

The size rule is simple: go up 2-5cm. A plant in a 12cm pot moves into a 14-17cm pot. A much bigger pot leaves a lot of wet compost the roots can’t reach, which leads to rot.

Terracotta dries out fastest and suits succulents. Plastic and glazed pots stay damp longer, which ferns and calatheas enjoy.

Which compost to use for houseplants

Use peat-free multipurpose compost for most houseplants, and special mixes for orchids, cacti and acid-lovers. The wrong compost is a common mistake.

Peat-free multipurpose compost suits most houseplants: pothos, monstera, peace lily, rubber plant, a coffee plant and most leafy tropical plants. It holds water well, drains reasonably and has enough food for 4-6 weeks.

Orchid bark mix is a must for orchids, many bromeliads and some aroids. In the wild these grow on trees, not in soil. A chunky mix of bark, perlite and charcoal lets air reach the roots. Ordinary compost smothers orchid roots and quickly rots them.

Cactus and succulent mix is gritty and drains fast. Mix equal parts compost and grit, or buy it ready-made. These plants rot in compost that stays wet.

Ericaceous compost is acidic and suits acid-lovers such as indoor azaleas.

Soil-based compost, such as peat-free John Innes No. 3, is heavier and lasts longer. It suits big, long-lived houseplants and helps keep top-heavy plants steady.

African violet compost is fine and holds moisture. It suits delicate roots, such as African violets, streptocarpus and begonias.

Can you use garden soil for houseplants?

No, garden soil on its own doesn’t work well in pots. It packs down, drains badly and can bring in weed seeds, slugs, fungus gnats and soil diseases. Potting compost is made to stay open and free-draining in a pot. If you want something heavier for a big plant, use a soil-based compost like peat-free John Innes No. 3 instead.

Mixing a handful of perlite into any compost helps it drain and breathe, and almost every houseplant likes that.

Repotting guide for popular houseplants

How do you repot a cactus without getting spiked?

Wrap a folded band of newspaper, cardboard or an old towel round the cactus and hold it by the ends, like a collar. Thick leather gloves or kitchen tongs help with small ones. Use dry cactus mix, and make sure the old compost is dry too, so the roots slide out easily. Don’t water for about a week afterwards, so any damaged roots can heal first.

A folded band of newspaper makes a handy collar for lifting a cactus. Use dry compost and wait about a week before watering.

What to do after repotting

Water lightly, keep the plant out of direct sun for a week and wait 4-6 weeks before feeding. That’s all it takes to help it settle.

Watering. Give a light drink to settle the compost, then wait until the top 2-3cm is dry before watering again. Fresh compost is already damp from the bag.

No feeding for 4-6 weeks. Fresh compost has enough food for at least a month, and feed can scorch roots that are still recovering.

Light. Keep it in bright light out of direct sun for 5-7 days, then move it back to its usual spot.

Warmth. Keep it at a steady room temperature, away from radiators, draughty windows and outside doors.

Humidity. Tropical plants like calatheas, ferns and alocasias enjoy a bit of extra humidity after a move. Group plants together or stand the pot on a tray of wet pebbles.

A little sulking is normal. Some drooping, or one or two yellow lower leaves, is normal for a few days. If it’s still wilting after a week, slide it out and check for rot or damaged roots.

Give repotted plants a quiet week in bright light out of direct sun. Hold off feeding for 4-6 weeks, as fresh compost has plenty.

Which houseplants prefer being rootbound

Peace lilies, spider plants, snake plants, hoyas, Christmas cactus and jade plants all like a snug pot. Repot them too often, or into a pot that’s too big, and they may flower less.

Peace lily. Flowers more reliably when its roots fill the pot. Most go two or three years between repots.

Spider plant. Makes more of its baby plantlets when pot-bound. In a roomy pot it puts its energy into leaves instead. Our best beginner houseplants guide has more on caring for it.

Snake plant. Slow-growing and stores water in its thick leaves. In a pot that’s too big it sits in wet compost and rots. Repot every two or three years, or when the roots crack the pot.

Hoya. Tends to flower best with its roots a little cramped. When you do repot, go up just 2cm.

Christmas cactus. Flowers well when slightly pot-bound. Repot only every three or four years.

Jade plant. A big pot makes it leggy. Move it up a size at a time.

Common repotting mistakes to avoid

The big three are a pot that’s too big, no drainage holes and repotting in winter.

Pot too big. The most common mistake. Move a plant from a 12cm pot into a 25cm one and the roots can’t reach most of the wet compost, which leads to rot. Go up just 2-5cm.

No drainage holes. Water has nowhere to go and pools at the bottom. The RHS container growing guide calls holes essential. Use a pretty pot without holes as an outer pot only.

Pressing the compost too hard. Roots need air pockets. Firm gently with your fingers so it’s settled but not squashed.

Repotting in winter. Unless it’s an emergency, wait for spring.

Planting too deep. Burying the stem lower than before can make it rot, especially soft-stemmed plants like begonias and African violets.

Feeding straight away. Fresh compost already has food in it. Extra feed can scorch tender roots. Wait 4-6 weeks.

Ignoring rotten roots. Repotting is your chance to check. If roots are brown, mushy or smelly, cut them off with clean secateurs and repot into fresh compost and a clean pot.

Skipping the first watering. A light drink settles the compost against the roots. Without it, roots can sit in air gaps and dry out.

How to repot very large houseplants

For big plants, refresh the top of the compost each spring and only do a full repot every few years. Plants in pots over 30cm across are heavy and awkward to move.

Top-dressing means scraping off the top 5-7cm of old compost with a fork or trowel and replacing it with fresh. Go carefully around surface roots. It gives the plant fresh food without the upheaval of a full repot.

Top-dress big plants every spring. Fully repot them every three or four years when growth slows, with a friend to help lift.

For a full repot, lay the pot on its side on an old sheet and slide the plant out sideways. That’s far easier than trying to lift a heavy plant straight up.

Big floor plants like mature indoor trees are happiest in heavy terracotta or ceramic pots, which stop them toppling over.

Next, why not make some new plants for free? Our guide on how to propagate houseplants shows you how.

Laying a big pot on its side and sliding the plant out is far easier than lifting it. In other years, just top-dress with fresh compost.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know when my houseplant needs repotting?

Roots poking out of the drainage holes are the clearest sign. Watch too for water rushing straight through, a plant that keeps toppling over, roots circling the surface and growth slowing despite good light and water. Slide the plant out to check. If it’s a solid mat of roots with little compost, it’s time.

What time of year should I repot houseplants?

Spring is best, from March to May. Plants are waking up and growing, so their roots recover quickly. Avoid winter, when most houseplants are resting. Summer is fine too, but keep the plant out of direct sun for a week afterwards.

Should I water a houseplant before or after repotting?

Both, but only lightly afterwards. Water the day before, as damp roots bend rather than snap. After repotting, give a light drink to settle the compost. Don’t drench it. Let the top 2-3cm dry before watering properly again.

How much bigger should the new pot be?

Just 2-5cm wider than the old one. So a plant in a 12cm pot moves to a 14-17cm pot. A pot that’s too big holds lots of wet compost around the roots, which leads to rot.

Can I reuse old potting compost?

It’s best to use fresh. Old compost slumps, drains badly and can carry pests or disease. Use fresh compost when you repot. The old stuff is still handy spread on garden beds or added to the compost bin.

Do all houseplants need drainage holes?

Yes, every single one. Without holes, water pools at the bottom and rots the roots. If you love a pot with no holes, use it as an outer pot. Keep the plant in a plastic pot with holes inside it, and lift it out to water and drain.

Why is my houseplant wilting after repotting?

A little droop for a few days is normal. Some fine roots get damaged in the move and need time to grow into the new compost. Keep the plant in bright light out of direct sun, and don’t overwater. If it’s still wilting after a week, slide it out and check for rot.