How to Repot a Houseplant: Step by Step, Without Shock
How to repot a houseplant into a bigger pot: when to do it, choosing the pot size, how much soil to buy, step-by-step instructions and aftercare.
On this page
How to repot a houseplant, in brief: water it the day before, choose a pot with drainage 2–5 cm wider than the old one, ease the plant out, loosen circling roots, set it at the same depth on a layer of fresh mix, fill around it, firm gently and water. Keep it out of strong sun for a week or two and hold off fertilizing for a month. Do it in spring if you can, when the plant recovers fastest.
Repotting worries people because it looks like surgery. In practice, most houseplants handle it well as long as you don't overpot and don't overwater afterwards.
Signs your plant needs repotting
- Roots growing out of the drainage hole
- Roots circling the inside of the pot or forming a solid mat
- Water running straight through without soaking in
- The soil dries out within a day or two of watering
- The plant is top-heavy and tips over
- Roots pushing the plant up out of the pot
- It's been in the same soil for 2–3 years and growth has stalled
Not every plant needs repotting every year. Fast growers such as pothos and spider plants may need it yearly. Slow growers such as snake plants and ZZ plants can go 2–4 years.
When to repot
Spring to early summer is best. Lengthening days mean active growth, so new roots spread quickly into fresh soil. Avoid winter, when growth is slow and damp soil stays wet longer. The exceptions are emergencies: root rot, a cracked pot, or a newly bought plant in waterlogged soil.
Don't repot a plant that's flowering, just arrived, or already stressed by something else, unless the roots are rotting.
Choosing the right pot size
The most common mistake is jumping to a much bigger pot. A big pot holds a lot of soil the roots can't reach, which stays wet and invites rot.
Our repotting pot size calculator suggests the next size up. Small pots get a smaller jump:
| Current pot | Suggested next pot | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 10 cm | 12.5 cm | 12–13 cm |
| 12 cm | 14.5 cm | 14–15 cm |
| 15 cm | 19 cm | 17–20 cm |
| 20 cm | 24 cm | 22–25 cm |
| 25 cm | 30 cm | 27–30 cm |
| 30 cm | 35 cm | 32–35 cm |
Pot materials
| Material | Pros | Cons | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic | Light, cheap, holds moisture | Can tip over, less airflow | Ferns, calatheas, peace lilies |
| Terracotta | Breathes, dries faster, heavy | Dries fast in summer, breaks | Succulents, snake plants, overwaterers |
| Glazed ceramic | Heavy, decorative | Often no drainage hole | Use as an outer pot, or choose one with a hole |
| Self-watering | Steady moisture | Easy to overwater | Thirsty plants in bright light |
Drainage is non-negotiable. If you love a pot with no hole, use it as a decorative outer pot and keep the plant in a plastic nursery pot inside it.
How much soil do you need?
Pots taper, so volume isn't obvious. The calculator works out the volume of a tapered pot from its top diameter, bottom diameter and height, and adds about 10% for settling:
| New pot (top × bottom × height) | Volume | Soil to buy |
|---|---|---|
| 12 × 9 × 11 cm | 0.96 L | ~1.1 L |
| 14.5 × 11 × 13 cm | 1.67 L | ~1.8 L |
| 19 × 14 × 17 cm | 3.66 L | ~4.0 L |
| 24 × 18 × 22 cm | 7.67 L | ~8.4 L |
| 30 × 23 × 27 cm | 14.98 L | ~16.5 L |
The old root ball takes up some of that space, so you'll usually have mix left over. Then use the soil mix calculator to split that total into ingredients.
Choosing the right soil
Match the mix to the plant:
- Aroids (monstera, philodendron, pothos): chunky mix with bark and perlite.
- Succulents, snake plants, ZZ plants: gritty, fast-draining mix.
- Ferns, calatheas, peace lilies: moisture-holding mix with coir.
- Most other houseplants: general potting mix with about 30% perlite.
Our houseplant soil mix guide gives the recipes and explains why each works. Don't use garden soil. It compacts in pots and can carry pests.
What you need
- New pot with drainage hole
- Fresh potting mix
- Old newspaper, a tray or a bin bag to work on
- Clean scissors or secateurs
- A chopstick or wooden skewer
- Gloves if the plant has irritating sap (pothos, monstera, ZZ, rubber plant)
- A watering can
How to repot a houseplant: step by step
- Water the day before. A lightly moist root ball holds together and slides out more easily. Bone-dry roots tear; soggy ones fall apart.
- Prepare the new pot. Cover the drainage hole with a small piece of mesh or a coffee filter if you want to stop soil washing out. Skip the gravel layer. It doesn't improve drainage and actually raises the wet zone. Add enough fresh mix that the top of the root ball will sit about 1–2 cm below the rim.
- Remove the plant. Turn it on its side, support the base of the stems, and slide the pot off. Squeeze plastic pots to loosen. For stuck plants, run a knife around the inside edge. Cut a plastic nursery pot if you need to.
- Inspect the roots. Healthy roots are firm and white, cream or light tan. Trim off any that are black, mushy or smell bad.
- Loosen circling roots. Gently tease the outer roots outwards with your fingers. If the root ball is a solid mat, make three or four shallow vertical cuts down the sides to encourage new roots to grow out.
- Position the plant. Set it in the centre at the same depth it was growing before. Burying the stems deeper can cause rot.
- Fill around the sides. Add mix around the root ball, using a chopstick to work it into gaps. Firm gently, don't pack hard.
- Water thoroughly. Water until it drains from the bottom. Top up any spots where the soil settles. (For succulents, snake plants and ZZ plants, wait about a week before watering.)
- Return it to a sheltered spot. Bright, indirect light, out of direct sun, for a week or two.
How to repot a large houseplant
Big plants such as monsteras, fiddle leaf figs and large palms need a helper and a plan:
- Lay the plant on its side on a tarp, and slide the pot off rather than lifting the plant.
- If it's badly root-bound, you may need to cut the pot.
- Instead of repotting, you can top-dress: remove the top 3–5 cm of old soil and replace it with fresh mix each spring. It's a good option for plants that are already in the biggest pot you want.
- Put the new pot where it will live before filling it. A large pot of wet soil is very heavy.
Our monstera deliciosa care guide includes a section on adding a moss pole at repotting time, which is the easiest moment to do it.
Aftercare: avoiding transplant shock
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Keep in bright, indirect light | Put it in strong direct sun |
| Water only when the top few cm are dry | Water on the old schedule. The bigger pot dries more slowly. |
| Wait 4–6 weeks before fertilizing | Feed straight away. Fresh mix usually has nutrients. |
| Expect a droopy day or a yellow leaf | Move it around repeatedly |
Your watering schedule will change too. A larger pot holds more water: the builder lengthens its check interval as pot size goes up, from a 0.8 multiplier for pots up to 12 cm to 1.4 for pots over 30 cm.
Dividing plants while repotting
Plants that grow in clumps, such as peace lilies, snake plants, ZZ plants, spider plants and cast iron plants, can be split into several plants at repotting time. Pull or cut the root ball into sections, each with its own roots and shoots, and pot each one separately. See the peace lily care and spider plant care guides for specifics.
Sources and further reading
- Royal Horticultural Society, on potting on and repotting houseplants.
- Washington State University Extension, whose horticulture fact sheets discuss why gravel layers in pots don't improve drainage.
- University of Minnesota Extension, on repotting houseplants.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to repot a houseplant?
Spring and early summer, when the plant is starting to grow actively and can recover quickly. Avoid repotting in winter unless there is an emergency such as root rot or a broken pot.
How much bigger should the new pot be?
Usually 2 to 5 cm wider in diameter than the old pot. Small pots need a smaller jump (2 to 3 cm), larger pots can go up 4 to 5 cm. A pot that is much bigger holds extra wet soil and raises the risk of root rot.
Should I water a plant before or after repotting?
Both, usually. Water lightly a day before so the root ball slides out and holds together, then water after repotting to settle the soil. Succulents, snake plants and ZZ plants are the exception. Wait about a week before watering them.
Is it normal for a plant to droop after repotting?
Yes, mild drooping or a yellow leaf in the first week or two is common transplant stress. Keep the plant out of direct sun, don't overwater, and don't fertilize for four to six weeks.
Should I put rocks or gravel in the bottom of the pot?
No. Research and extension guidance show that a gravel layer raises the wet zone of soil rather than improving drainage. Use a pot with a drainage hole and a free-draining mix instead.