Methods and precautions for flower repotting

Principles of flower repotting

The purpose of repotting is to improve the nutritional status of the plant. Generally, one- or two-year-old herbaceous flowers need to be repotted 1 to 2 times before flowering. Perennial flowers should be repotted once a year; woody flowers can be repotted once every year. For example, Milan, rose, jasmine, poinsettia, and hibiscus need to be repotted once a year; although camellia, orchid, and azalea grow more slowly, they should also be repotted every other year.

For perennial large potted flowers, due to the gradual development of the root system and long-term watering, the soil in the pot will gradually decrease, the soil will become increasingly hardened, the air permeability will gradually become less than before, and the nutrients in the soil will gradually become insufficient. Therefore, even if large potted flowers are still in the original pots, the soil should be changed at least once every two years, some bad roots, roots that are too long and abundant, rotten roots, and roots that are damaged by diseases and insects should be trimmed, and some new soil should be added to facilitate the continued growth of the plants.

The best time to repot flowers is during their dormant period. Woody and perennial flowers can generally be repotted in March, and early spring flowers should be repotted after they bloom.

How to repot flowers

When repotting, first use a knife to loosen the soil around the pot walls, turn the pot over with one hand, then tap the pot walls to remove the plant, and use the other hand to support the plant with the soil. Then use a knife to scrape off some of the old soil outside the root system, cut off the bad roots and some old roots, replant it according to the method of potting, add new soil outside the soil ball and press it tightly, and then water it. The planting depth of the seedlings remains the same. Perennial flowers can also be divided while repotting.

When repotting large potted flowers, in order to ensure good drainage, reduce weight and facilitate moving, you can first spread a layer of ash on the bottom of the pot, then a layer of soil, and add some fish scales, broken bones, etc. as base fertilizer, which can maintain fertility for a longer time.

Things to note when repotting flowers

1. During the production process of flower pots, the holes at the bottom of the pots often have a circle of upward edges. If this edge is not removed, it will affect drainage during the rainy season. It should be knocked off when repotting. When potting, you can also use a piece of plastic window screen as a bottom pad to prevent grubs and earthworms from entering the pot.

2. When repotting, the root soil that is poured out must be scraped off with a sharp spade to remove the outer layer of old roots, and the root surface soil also needs to be loosened with a shovel. Otherwise, the roots will curl around the pot wall and not stretch, and will be easily affected by drought, flood, cold and heat, and the plants will often not develop well.

3. After repotting with new soil, the soil must be compacted to avoid holes in the soil after watering, which would affect the roots' absorption of water. And a watering edge must be left, and there should not be a place where water stops because the pot is completely full of soil.

4. Make sure to water thoroughly. It is best to use the immersion method when watering the flowers for the first time after repotting. Place the flowers in a basin of water and wait until the surface of the soil in the basin is moist before taking them out and placing them aside. After the first watering, wait until the soil in the pot is dry and turns white on the surface before watering again, and follow the principle of "don't water until the soil is dry".