24 JAN 2022
Why you should repot your plants
There are two main reasons for repotting your plants.
1. THE SOIL OF MEDIUM IN WHICH THE PLANT IS GROWING IS TOO OLD.
Soil containing peat decomposes over time and loses its structure and nutrients. Instead of water moving through the soil freely, the soil can compact and stay damp. It’s then more likely to turn mouldy and smelly, and harbour bacteria, diseases and fungi. The image on the left shows old, compacted soil which will constrict roots and repel water - not good. Time to chuck it away and repot.
2. THE PLANT HAS OUTGROWN IT'S POT.
Depending on the size of the pot you started out with, most plants do outgrow their pots. No surprise really, as plants are growing organisms. The trick is to spot when it’s time for a repot before any damage is done to the plant. There are a few tell-tale signs to look out for. As a plant grows, its roots go looking for room to expand. If the pot is too small, the roots will wrap themselves in a circle or grow out of the drainage hole at the bottom. If the density of roots gets too great, there won’t be enough soil in the pot to soak up and distribute water. So the soil dries out. Other obvious signs are leaves falling off or the plant looking under the weather.
When you repot, choose a pot a few inches wider in diameter than the existing one. If the replacement pot is too large with too much soil, the roots can rot because the soil gathers water rather than it draining away.
We obviously recommend repotting in For Peat’s Sake. Its coir has variable fibre sizes and a sturdier structure than traditional peat compost. This allows air and water to circulate more freely and it doesn’t compact like soil, keeping a fluffy, fresh texture. It’s also much more rot-resistant and less prone to diseases and harmful bacteria. Thanks to its favourable structure, For Peat’s Sake can also be re-used, especially if the reason for the repot is sizing up to a bigger pot. Simply remove your plant, shake up the coir in a bucket or bowl, add some more new coir to fill the bigger pot and bingo! you’re ready to replant.