If you pot it, they will come. That’s the case with this spider plant that I’ve had for years. To keep it fresh and healthy, I simply put it in a new pot every year. But this year, I didn’t. How did I fix the problem? Read on…
1. Buy another pot (of roughly the same size).
For example, my spider plant has gotten very top-heavy over the years; as such, its old clay pot seems too small whereas our newer clay pots are much larger. So we decided to replace it with one of those large clay pots which gave us “more room to work.” Also, if your potted plant is still quite young.e., not yet top-heavy, you might try using an old pot that’s just slightly smaller than the newer one in order to prevent the roots from drying out.
2. Preparing your potted plant for transplanting
When I transplanted my spider plant, I noted that the clues of its age were showing throughout its root system. Specifically, it had lots of long, spidery roots which meant that the plants “buttons” (clusters of leaves) had enough room to breathe and grow. Plus, because these older plants usually have fragile root systems, they don’t do well when repotted during their active growing period (between March-May). So early fall is perfect since most plants are winding down their business by then and won’t produce new buds until next spring.
3. To prep the pot for transplanting.
First, drop in a few inches of soil down to the lip of your container. Then gently tap the sides and bottom of the pot to loosen any remaining roots. Next, use a sharp knife or pruner to carefully remove any foliage that is still attached at root level since you want to make it easier for your potted plant to re-establish its root system in its new home. Finally, add soil around your potted plant’s base and backfill about one inch below the lip of its pot. As you can see from our pictures, we didn’t bother putting dirt on top of our spider plants’ “buttons” because they always grow toward light anyway so they’ll be fine.
4. After you transplant your plant, water it well and place it in a sunny area with high humidity.
For me, this meant placing our potted plant on top of the refrigerator where it will receive lots of indirect light and warmth (our house isn’t air-conditioned). Next spring, I plan to repot our spider plant in one of our larger clay pots when it’s time for them to come out again!
UNUSUAL WAY TO TRANSPLANT A POTTED PLANT:
When my wife and I repotted our spider plant this afternoon, we used one of our newer (but larger) clay pots which gave us “more room to work.” We also removed all of its “spidery” roots in the process since these older plants usually have fragile root systems that don’t do well when transplanted during their active growing period (between March-May).
SO, NOW WHAT??
We could have repotted this plant using one of our smaller clay pots since it’s still quite young…so early fall is perfect since most plants are winding down their business by then and won’t produce new buds until next spring. But that idea was vetoed because the pot which we wanted to use for transplanting has a drainage hole in its bottom (see above) plus any excess water would just run right through the hole rather than being retained inside the pot itself. So what were we supposed to do? Luckily, my wife stumbled upon an unusual solution!
FINAL NOTE:
If none of the above methods work, i.e., if your potted plant remains stubbornly stuck in its pot year after year…well, there are always the “old school” tricks like pushing down around the pot’s perimeter until you hear a crack or two then pulling the plant out by its leaves.
