Do You Need To Put Rocks In The Bottom Of Plant Pots?
Do bear in mind that rocks are far heavier than soil, so prepare to have to leave your plant where you potted it if you find it’s too heavy to carry. One thing I did know was that when you pot up a plant, it’s good practice to put rocks in the bottom of your plant pots.
The plant will resume healthy growth if you continue to water and provide adequate sunlight. Turn the plant pot upside down, supporting the soil and plant with the palm of your hand.
You’ll be encouraging deep, healthy roots that anchor the plant AND provide it more access to water and nutrients. If it doesn’t, try drilling a hole or two while the plant is still potted to avoid moving the plant unnecessarily. When a plant suffers from wilted leaves after repotting, along with a host of other symptoms, it’s usually caused by the way it was treated during the transplant process.
When buying a new plant, ask a local greenhouse or garden center for proper care instructions. If you’ve got a plant such as the birds nest fern then you may want to increase the humidity in its vicinity.
One of the worst culprits is repotting the plant at the wrong time. Plants are especially vulnerable right before they begin to bloom, so always avoid transplanting in the spring. Even out the potting soil on top, making sure to leave the soil line an inch or so from the top. If your plant is root-bound — with roots growing in tight circles around the base of the plant — unbind them as best you can and give them a little trim.
This is key to avoiding a big mess after each watering session. Without them, you’d find a a nice wet patch in your home surrounding the pot. Whilst that may be fine as a one off, if you’re doing it consistently in the same place, it could lead to Swiss cheese plant rot in your actual home in places such as wooden floorboards.
The plant is basically parched, Gutierrez said, and the salt and minerals in our water tend to accumulate unhealthily in the soil. They thought they were helping, she said, but instead the plants were suffocating in standing water or rotting from perpetually soggy roots. The nursery pots have excellent drainage, unlike a lot of decorative pots.
You may find yourself tearing them a little if you cannot finesse them apart. Pour a layer of fresh, pre-moistened mix in the planter you’re potting into, and pack it down.
Allow the soil to soak up the moisture for 30 minutes before removing it from the pot. Cut through any roots growing in a circular pattern to help prevent the plant from strangling itself with its own roots as it grows. If the roots are thick along the sides of the root ball, shave or peel away the outer layer. Or gently untangle the root ball with your fingers as if you were mussing someone’s hair. Begin to fill the empty areas around the roots of the plant with more soil, pressing down to make sure the plant is set firmly in the soil, and is not loose or flimsy.
Thump the edge of the pot on a table until the soil and rootball slide out of the pot and into your hand. Water the plant until the excess drains from the bottom of the pot, indicating that the entire rootball is moistened.