Purpose and Principles of Repotting Potted Plants in Autumn
Sharing some knowledge about the purpose and principles of repotting potted plants in autumn. Here is a comprehensive introduction.
Many flowers will enter a rapid growth period after the beginning of autumn, so autumn is also a good time to repot potted flowers. After repotting, plants can quickly produce new roots, absorb nutrients, promote the growth of branches and leaves, and prepare for the severe cold. However, not all plants are suitable for repotting in autumn, as incorrect repotting may lead to weaker potted plants or even withered phenomena.
I. Purpose and Principles of Repotting Potted Plants in Autumn
Why repot plants in autumn? There are mainly 3 purposes.
1. -- The pot is too small, making it difficult to manage fertilizer and water --
After a year of growth, the roots of many plants have filled the pot, the crown is relatively large, the pressure of watering is high, it is easy to have drought, or growth significantly slows down, making it difficult to manage fertilizer and water. In this case, it is necessary to replace it with a larger pot to provide sufficient space for plant growth.
In this situation, repotting generally only removes the soil from the surface of the soil ball, mainly replacing the large pot with new soil. The impact on plant growth after repotting is small, it adapts quickly, and the growth in autumn will be more vigorous.
2. -- The potting soil is compacted and difficult to manage --
Due to the problem of potting soil configuration, some potted plants have obvious compaction after repeated watering in the summer. In this case, watering and fertilizing are difficult to penetrate, and repotting and replacing soil can thoroughly solve the problem of soil compaction.
But be aware that for plants not suitable for repotting in autumn, you can take other measures to solve the problem of soil compaction, such as applying organic fertilizer and microbial fertilizer. Blindly replacing soil may cause plant withering. For how to solve the problem of soil compaction, you can refer to my previous article sharing.
3. -- The roots of the potted plant are problematic and getting weaker --
After a severe heatwave, some potted plants may show obvious signs of growth stagnation,僵苗 (stunted growth), and half-dead conditions, indicating that the plant probably has root rot.
In this case, it needs to be repotted into a smaller pot to regrow the roots. Because weak seedlings have a slow transpiration rate, the soil moisture cycle is slow, and large pots are more likely to cause root suffocation. A smaller pot with a faster dry-wet cycle is more conducive to the plant producing new roots.
Principles of Repotting Potted Plants in Autumn
Therefore, when repotting potted plants in autumn, we should combine it with the condition of the seedlings and not follow others blindly. When your potted plants have the above 3 situations, we should repot them. At the same time, for plants not suitable for repotting in autumn, we should not repot them.
When repotting, attention should be paid to pruning the roots properly, cutting off the overly aged roots, withered roots, and rotting roots, and the overly long roots should also be shortened. Correspondingly, the amount of root pruning should match the pruning of branches to help the seedlings adapt after repotting.
II. Which Plants Are Suitable for Repotting in Autumn
Most plants are more suitable for repotting in spring. For some plants that grow and bloom in autumn and continue until winter and spring, or for plants that bloom in early spring, repotting in autumn is more appropriate. Because fertile new soil can continuously provide nutrients for potted plants, keeping them vigorous throughout the autumn and winter seasons.
For example, Chrysanthemum, Christmas cactus, Clivia miniata, Pelargonium, Orchid, and Rhododendron. These are generally repotted in autumn, while other plants are usually repotted in autumn only when the above 1 and 3 situations occur. Normal growth is often repotted in the spring.
Note that for most ornamental leafy green plants, autumn is also a good time for repotting. However, if the winter temperature in your care environment is relatively low, it is better not to repot in autumn to avoid the roots not growing well after repotting and easily freezing to death in winter.
For the specific operation methods of repotting in autumn, please continue to follow the sharing tomorrow.
Above is the purpose and principles of repotting potted plants in autumn and which plants are suitable for repotting in autumn. Green plant enthusiasts may refer to this for reference.