Spider plant ( Chlorophytum comosum)are dependable , easy to manage for houseplants that need little alimony .

However , as fast growers , these plants do require repot every one to two age . And when you repot a wanderer plant , you ’ll want to make certain you do it right-hand !

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A horizontal close up shot of the green and white leaves of a spider plant.

The root ball of a specimen that doesn’t need to be repotted yet. Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin.

Repotting this leisurely houseplant , also known as “ wanderer ivy , ” “ medal plant , ” “ aeroplane plant , ” and “ St. Bernard ’s lily , ” is n’t difficult , but you might have some questions as you work through this indoor gardening labor .

This clause will provide you with step by step guidance , answering normally involve questions along the way .

Here ’s a sneak peek of what I ’ll cover up :

A vertical shot of a large spider plant in an orange pot sitting on a wooden shelf. Green and white text run through the center and along the bottom of the frame.

The root ball of a specimen that doesn’t need to be repotted yet. Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin.

Repotting Spider Plants in 5 Steps

In this article we ’re pass away to traverse the process of repotting spider ivies to dissimilar container .

If you ’d like to know more about caring for these houseplant , readour article for a full scout to get wanderer plants .

1. Make Sure You Need to Repot

When was the last sentence your wanderer ivy was repotted ? Generally it ’s a good idea to repot small specimens once a class , and large ones every two years .

However , before you transfer your houseplant into a new container , ensure that you do indeed need to repot . One manner you may do this is by inspecting the specimen ’s root word ball .

specimen without much sub - soil maturation , where there is more originate medium than there are rootage in the pot , still have plenty of room to thrive in their current containers .

A horizontal close up of the bottom of a spider plant’s root ball with small white roots growing out the side.

On the other hand , if roots are emerging from either the top of the soil or out of the drainage holes , or if the industrial plant is rootbound – when the root scheme fill up most of the outer space in the container – then it ’s a undecomposed time to repot .

Making it passing clear that a variety of container is in social club , some ribbon flora will even burst their pots as they grow !

Beyond stem circumstance , the best time to repot a spider Hedera helix is in the spring , at the beginning of an participating menses of emergence , so if your specimen has n’t yet crack its container , attempt to expect until then if you may .

A vertical shot of a spider plant out of the pot with its roots bound.

Finally , there are a few other situations when you might require to repot into the same sized – or an even little – container no matter the meter of year :

If your specimen is get in a container with no drain holes , this constitutes a houseplant emergency – replant it asap !

You might want toconsider splitting your plantat this fourth dimension to make two separate specimens . This is one of severalpropagation methods for wanderer plants .

A horizontal shot from above of a gardener repotting a spider plant into a terra cotta colored pot.

Another grounds for immediate activeness is if it ’s planted in an oversized pot – such as a two - inch specimen transplanted into an eight - inch container .

The growing medium in oversized container will take a long time to dry out between waterings . This is a place that can make your houseplant vulnerable to thedisease known as “ beginning bunk . ”

If your specimen is in an outsized pot , go ahead and repot to one that is a tighter fit – there should only be about an inch of rise metier between the edge of the rootball and the border of the container .

A small photo of a bag of De La Tanks potting soil against a white background.

at long last , if overwatering , ill run out grow sensitive , or an oversized container have caused root bunk , try out to save the houseplant by transplanting it to the same sized or smaller container , with wise growing spiritualist , after trimming off any rotting rootage .

2. Gather Your Supplies

The list of supplies you ’ll need for this project is moderately short : a Modern pot andhouseplant maturate mass medium . If your specimen is quite root bound you may also need a butter tongue , which can be used to help poke the industrial plant out of its container .

to boot , you ’ll demand a pair of sterilized scissors orgarden prunersif there are any roots emerge from the drainage holes .

As for growing mediums , my personal favorite for spider ivy , as well as for many of my other houseplants , is De La Tank ’s from Tank ’s Green Stuff .

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De La Tank ’s House Plant Mix

This farm medium control pumice , compost , and coconut coir , and ispeat - gratis . It ’s available in a option of bag size of it from Tank ’s Green Stuffvia Arbico Organics .

You may also desire to use a repotting matt for this projection , to help keep your work surface clean .

A horizontal close up of a gardener holding a green plastic pot with the bottom facing up. A drill bit is making a hole in the bottom of the pot.

big Green Repotting Mat

This large , green , credit card repotting mat folds up for easy storage . It unfolds to a sizing of 39.5 inches by 31.5 inches , and isavailable via Amazon .

3. Choose a New Container

Now let ’s talk about choose the best container for these houseplant .

There are two master features you ’ll need to expect for when choosing a new pot .

Whether you ’re see for a decorative option , or are fine using a uncomplicated charge plate nursery pot , the first requirement is that the new container must have drainage holes .

A horizontal shot of a small houseplant in a nursery pot with a larger empty pot to the right, both sitting on a wooden table.

If you already have a plastic container you ’d like to use , but it does n’t have drain holes , or it has inadequate drain hole , you may be able-bodied to exercise holes in the bottom .

Be sure to wear guard goggles and to handle exponent shaft with circumspection !

While you canalsouse a practice session to tally hole to ceramic and terra cotta container , this require a Freemasonry practice bit . Go slowly , drilling only in forgetful flare-up if judge this method acting , and make only one hole in the bottom of the pot .

A horizontal shot of the bottom of a potted spider plant. The white pot is lying on its side with roots growing out of the drainage holes.

When take new containers for houseplants that have outgrown their pots , the second feature to expect for is that the new unity are just one size declamatory than the old unity .

You might think , “ I ’ll save myself some work and go ahead and move my spider ivy to amuchbigger pot , giving her plenty of room to rise and skipping a few years of repotting . ”

Well , friend – this is not such a good approximation . That ’s because oversized pots often leave to root putrefaction – a problem that can stimulate aspider industrial plant to wilt , before finally kill it .

A horizontal shot of two pots. To the right of the frame is a small nursery pot and on the left is a gardener tamping down the soil on the freshly repotted spider plant in a new larger green pot.

So go forwards and be prudent when choosing that novel container . If you have to choose between one that ’s justa littlebigger or one that ’s a lot bigger – go with the smaller option .

4. Unpot Your Plant

Now that you know you ’re transplant at the correct time for your houseplant and you have a new container as well as some saucy growing mass medium , it ’s time to get your hand dirty !

Well , okay , if you prefer you may weargardening baseball glove .

Unfold your repotting mat onto your work airfoil , if you ’re using one , and grab your grip of grow medium and new plenty .

A horizontal close up shot from above of a spider ivy in a green pot sitting on a wooden table. Next to the pot is some stray potting soil.

Before you unpot your wanderer English ivy , get the raw container quick by placing about an column inch of raise medium in the bottom of it .

Now permit ’s scrutinize the spider industrial plant in its older pile .

If tooth root are emerging from the drain hole in the bottom of the peck , cut back them off with scissors or garden snips .

A close up horizontal image of the variegated foliage of a spider ivy (Chlorophytum comosum) growing in a pot indoors.

Next , slay the base ball from the container – you may need to slide a butterknife between the origin ball and the inside of the container to free it and horn in it out .

For very rootbound plants , you may even necessitate to unwrap the old pot to take the plant .

Once the industrial plant is out of the old spate , itch the side of the ascendent glob to loosen the tooth root . This see to it they will be able to uprise into their young potting medium more easy .

5. Transplant Into New Container

Once the wanderer common ivy has been removed from its old container and its out roots have been loosened up a minute , it ’s time to fix it in its novel pot .

range the specimen into the fresh container . There should be about an inch of infinite between the top of the origin ball and the rim of the toilet . line up the amount of soil under the wanderer industrial plant to accomplish this horizontal surface .

Once the plant is at the right level , fill the sides with uprise culture medium , then softly tamp down the top of the grunge .

After pack down the soil , you may ask to add a bit more arise sensitive as aviation pockets are filled in .

Once the soil is level , go ahead and water your houseplant , and then hark back it to its usual location in medium to hopeful , collateral lighter .

Just Enough Room to Grow

Voila , you ’re done ! Just five simple steps and you have repotted your wanderer industrial plant – providing it with more room to keep spread its ascendent and stay producing a glorious natural spring of grass - similar leaves .

Now that you know how to relocate them from one container to the next , if you’dlike to learn more about caring for wanderer plants , keep reading right here :

exposure by Kristina Hicks - Hamblin © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product picture via Amazon and Arbico Organics .   Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .

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