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Repotting House Plants

With the start of the winter months, it might not be a bad idea to repot your house plants. Most plants, especially if you have had them outside, are beginning to out grow their container.

It's important to use the right kind of repotting soil. I would rather you use a soil-less mix than a soil-based mix for two very good reasons. It can eliminate insects and disease organisms that might be harbored in the outside soil you bring inside.

What you want in a soil-less mix is for it to be light enough to be well drained and to allow for easy root growth but spongy enough to hold water and nutrients. If you tightly squeeze a handful of a moist well made potting soil, it should crumble when you open your hand and tap the soil lightly.

Here is a great recipe for homemade soil-less mix to repot your house plants.
2 parts peat moss
1 part vermiculite
1 part perlite
1 tablespoon of limestone per gallon
2 parts of triple super phosphate per gallon
1 teaspoon of 5-10-5 garden fertilizer per gallon.

It's fairly inexpensive to make or you can purchase a pre-made soil-less mix.

Check the pot to see if it is pot bound. You can spot it very easily because you will find a mat of tightly woven roots on the outside of the soil in the pot. You might want to loosen those roots or even cut thru some of the roots to create new fibrous roots that will absorb lots of nutrients and water.

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