October 16, 2024

How to Repot a Houseplant: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Plant a Houseplant

As a new plant parent, repotting houseplants can be both exciting and overwhelming. Repotting your houseplants gives you the chance to customize the type of potting soil they’ll grow in. If you are a plant person that often underwaters your houseplants, you can curate your potting mix to retain more moisture so you don’t have to deal with dry rot. Repotting houseplants also helps you check on plant roots and gives your plants more room to grow. Although, it can all seem quite daunting at first, repotting is simple once you know the basics. Most plants thrive during the spring when they begin to grow actively, making it an ideal time for repotting.

A planter spilling out soil and an unpotted plant

How Often Should You Be Repotting Houseplants

I always recommend a houseplant be repotted when you first bring it home. Most times, when you bring a plant home from a nursery, it’s planted in straight peat moss. Peat moss is a dense potting mix and is efficient at retaining water and is great in a greenhouse but terrible for a regular household. This potting mix will take longer to dry out and you may overwater your plant causing root rot.

After you repot your new houseplant, it won’t need to be repotted for a while. Some plants grow quicker than others. Different factors can effect the rate of growth of your houseplant. But on average plants will need to be repotted every 1-2 years. If a plant has been in the same pot for 2-3 years without growth, it likely needs to be moved to a new pot.

Choosing the Right Container with Drainage Hole

Choosing the right planter for your plant can make or break your plant's longevity. Here are some tips for picking the right container:

  • Choose a container with at least one drainage hole to prevent waterlogging, excess water pooling and root rot. Drainage holes allow excess water to escape, thereby maintaining the health of the plants and preventing potential issues associated with overwatering. If you want a stylish pot and it doesn’t have drainage holes, you can use a decorative pot as a cache pot. Plant the houseplant in a nursery pot then place the nursery pot in the decorative pot. You can take the nursery pot out to water the plant or to change decorative pots without having to repot the whole plant.

  • If you are using a pot with a drainage hole without a cache pot, consider using Treleaf's Kostr (our pot coasters) to keep your table surfaces or window sills from getting water damage. 

Treleaf plant coaster being placed under plant on table

  • Consider the size of the container and whether it will provide enough room for your plant’s roots to grow. A general rule to follow is to go 2 inches bigger than the previous pot size it was in. However, you can size up if the roots are thicker, like in Monsteras. You want your plant roots to live in an apartment, not a mansion.

  • Select a container that is suitable for indoor plants and has good air circulation. The material that the planters are made out of is something to consider. A plastic container will hold onto moisture longer than terra-cotta pots. Terra-cotta pots are porous and wick moisture out of the soil.

Selecting the Best Potting Soil

Repotting your houseplants in the right kind of soil will set your plant up for success by protecting and nourishing the plant's roots. You want a soil mixture with good drainage that creates air pockets for the roots, giving them room to breathe and preventing root rot.

Use a potting mix specifically designed for indoor plants. Don’t go to a big box store and grab any soil bag you see. Outdoor gardening soil is not meant for houseplants and using it will only lead to wilted leaves and heartbreak.

Next, I would grab perlite (or pumice depending on what your garden center offers) and orchid bark. Mixing equal parts of each in your potting mix will be enough to help your plant thrive. This will help aid in drainage and water retention. Making your own soil mix also gives you the chance to curate the soil to your planting style. If you feel like you’re watering your plant too often and it’s not root bound, add more soil and fewer amendments. But, if you overwater and get root rot often, add more things or even try mixing in horticultural charcoal to make a more airy mix.

Or, if you prefer to order an already made soil mix perfect for indoor plants, I recommend using Sol Soil. 

Read here to learn more about making your own soil.

Planting Your Houseplant for Healthy Plant Roots

  • Gently remove the plant from its container. Depending on how root bound the plant is determine the difficulty of removing the plant. Sometimes, plant roots will get stuck to the sides of the planter. If this is the case, use a hand shovel and carefully scrape along the inside of the plant to separate the roots from the interior.

  • Gently shake off any loose soil. Don’t worry about removing all the previous soil. Just remove anything that shakes off.

  • Trim off any dead or mushy roots

  • Use the fresh potting soil you just made and put about one inch of soil in the new pot. I would suggest putting enough potting soil in the new container so that the existing root ball surface is positioned appropriately below the rim. This ensures proper water absorption and prevents air pockets, which can harm the plant's roots.

  • Place the plant in the middle and start filling in the gaps.

  • Carefully tap the sides of the soil to remove any air pockets.

  • If the plant needs support, make sure to add a trellis on the back of the plant and secure it on the trellis with plant ties. 


Vining Philodendron being supported by wooden plant trellis Monstrella

  • If the plant is thirsty, finish this off by thoroughly watering the plant.

Initial Care and Maintenance

To continue to set your plant up for success after repotting, make sure to provide it with plenty of light and keep it away from extreme temperature changes.

If your plant is actively growing, water it with a balanced fertilizer. Or sprinkle in a slow release fertilizer. You can also use this time to prune or trim your plant to help maintain its shape and help promote new growth.


An upotted houseplant exposing plant roots

Click here to read more about pruning your houseplants.

Lastly, keep an eye out for pests or diseases and take action if necessary. Healthy plants aren't usually prone to plant pests. Keeping up with regularly fertilizing, pruning and overall maintenance of your plant will help keep pests at bay.