I removed a thick plug of compacted nursery mix from a new plant and discovered more roots than expected. The root mass fits its old pot once loosened, but a few thick roots circle the bottom. I'm undecided about going up a pot size right away: too large could leave wet soil around the roots, too small means repotting again soon. How do you judge size after teasing out nursery soil without overpotting?
Choosing pot size after removing compacted nursery soil
- houseplants
- choosing
- size
- removing
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3 replies
I usually go one size up at most after I’ve teased out a nursery plug. If the root ball suddenly shrinks a lot after loosening, I’d still st...
I usually go one size up at most after I’ve teased out a nursery plug. If the root ball suddenly shrinks a lot after loosening, I’d still stay closer to the original pot than the “new” root volume makes you think. The circling roots are worth guiding outward, not just burying in a huge pot.
That’s pretty much what I do too. I got burned once by jumping to a pot that looked “right” after I cleaned off the peat, and the mix stayed wet forever.
I’m a little more cautious than that and sometimes keep the same pot if the roots aren’t packed hard anymore. It depends on the plant, though. My pothos didn’t mind a small step up, but a fern sulked in a bigger pot for weeks.
The fern part makes sense to me. I think the main question is whether the root mass can hold together after watering. If it can’t, the extra...