Do You Need to Repot New Plants?

When you bring home a new plant, there’s a split on the advice for what you should do first. Should you repot it, or should you leave it in its original pot and let it adjust to its new home? 

Whenever you bring a new plant home, gently remove the plant in soil from the grower pot to see the visible roots, and inspect roots, leaves, and stems for signs of pests, damage, or rot. 

You never know what adventures a plant can get into between leaving the greenhouse and making its way to your home. If you’re worried about pests or infection, you can keep new plants away from your pre-established collection for a few weeks, just in case any pests or fungus made it in unnoticed. 

The case for leaving it alone

The main reason to keep your plant in its original pot is to let it get used to its new environment with minimal shock. 

When you bring a plant home from the store or nursery (and especially if you order online), your plant has to adjust to the new light levels, particulates in the air, temperature, etc. in the home. Repotting can add more stress to your plant and cause leaf drop and root damage. 

Our grower Wayne says, “You should always let a plant acclimatize and get accustomed to its new environment. Never re-pot directly after taking it home - repotting usually adds extra stress like root damage or transpiration stress. If you feel you want to re-pot the plant, allow two weeks of acclimation first.” 

When you should repot

Sometimes you do come across a plant that needs some TLC right away. Here’s when you should re-pot your plant asap!

Pest Prevention: To avoid pests, you can repot and treat with an insecticidal soap to prevent any lingering pest eggs or larva from reaching adulthood.

Root Health: If you notice that your plant is root bound or overgrown, repot it into a pot that’s 1-2” wider than the original. 

Improper Soil: It’s possible that plants are potted in soil blends that aren’t well suited to the plant. For instance, over time, sphagnum moss becomes acidic and can damage roots if it isn’t changed out regularly to avoid degradation. If you prefer to repot your plants into another medium right away, that’s okay!

Overwatered: Sometimes a nursery or store can overwater a plant, and repotting is the best way to get the roots into more appropriate soil that isn’t waterlogged. 

Which team are you on? 

Are you team re-pot or team leave it? Let us know!