Repot Like a Professional This Spring

These tips will have your plants living their best lives.

When spring rolls around, plant lovers rejoice. It’s the season of happy, thriving plants with lots of new growth. But if you notice your indoor plants are dropping leaves more easily than they used to, seem a little top-heavy, or can’t retain moisture in their soil, it’s time to repot.

Upsizing your plant’s pot and giving it some new, nutritious soil to work with will perk it up just in time to take advantage of the springtime vibes. Here’s how to repot like a professional.

Be gentle

You don’t want to damage your plant’s root system by yanking it out of its current pot. Instead, grip your plant at its base and turn the planter onto its side. Tap the bottom until the roots and soil loosen up and slide out easily.

Sprinkle in some goodies

As you add soil into your plant’s new pot, why not stir in some natural fertilizers to help meet your plant’s needs this growing season? Eggshells and coffee grounds offer calcium and nitrogen (and you probably have them on hand). Worm castings are an easy-to-find, all-natural option.

Do some spring cleaning

Plants use their leaves to capture the sunlight, but all year long, dust settles onto them and can make their job much harder. Once you’re done repotting, use a damp cloth to wipe them down so they’re ready to bask in the rays. Dusting the leaves helps plants photosynthesize more effectively, as it opens up more surface area of the leaves to catch some sun.