We’ve all heard that you should wait before repotting a new houseplant. Is this true? Sort of. Find out the best time to repot a new houseplant and why it’s not always a bad idea to repot a new plant.

Reasons Not to Repot

The argument against repotting a new houseplant is that it’s stressful, and you should give the plant time to acclimate to your space before repotting. The conditions in a retail environment are not always the best for plants. The ride home can be stressful, especially if the weather is very cold or hot. The plant needs time to decompress.

Why You Should Repot a New Houseplant

While it’s true that repotting is stressful, staying in a not-so-great situation is also stressful. The stress of repotting may not be as bad as the stress of living in overly wet soil or a too-small pot. The plant’s health at the time of purchase is the determining factor when it comes to whether or not to repot. 

Repotting a new houseplant is an opportunity to check the roots to ensure they’re healthy and have plenty of space. You can set the plant up for success by giving it good soil and an appropriately sized pot. Inspect the plant and consider where you purchased it to help you decide whether to repot a new houseplant.

Big Box Store

If you buy plants at a grocery store or a big-box home improvement store, the plants are likely not in the best condition. Store employees do what they can to care for the plants, but they’re not necessarily into plants. 

In a big store, the plants are probably watered when it’s convenient for the employees or when they remember, not based on when each plant needs water. Overwatering causes root rot, which, if left unchecked, can kill the plant. Underwatering houseplants is equally problematic.

Plants purchased from large chain stores are also likely to experience improper sunlight levels and are potentially exposed to pests. Do a thorough check at the store to determine the overall health and the steps needed to help the plant recover and thrive.

Specialty Store

If you bought your new plant from a store specializing in plants, it’s probably in excellent condition. The plant care hits the mark, but a new plant may still be rootbound. 

There could be other issues at play. One time, I bought a Pothos at a farmer’s market, and it was in heavy soil with a lot of clay. I’m guessing the seller used whatever was available and/or didn’t want to invest in a quality potting mix. Heavy soil is the worst soil possible for most plants, and leaving the Pothos in that soil would have been a fatal mistake. Repotting was the right thing to do in this instance. The Pothos is doing great, by the way.

When to Repot a New Houseplant

Follow these steps to determine the best course of action and whether or not you should repot a new houseplant.

Inspect the Foliage

Inspect the leaves for signs of overwatering, like yellow leaf tips. The plant may not be a good purchase if the stems are black or mushy or more than one-third of the leaves have fallen off.

An overly dry plant is also in a precarious situation. Signs of a dehydrated plant include potting mix that is so dry it’s dusty or cracked, wilted or shriveled foliage and limp stems.

Peak at the Roots 

Check the roots to get a better understanding of the plant’s health. It may not be possible to check the roots in a retail space, so you’ll have to rely solely on the information you can gather from the above-soil growth.

Roots poking through the drainage holes or emerging above the soil line are signs that the plant needs a bigger pot. Repotting a rootbound plant is a good decision. The plant will start declining sooner rather than later if it doesn’t have room to grow, so upgrading to a slightly bigger pot will set it up for success. 

Gently remove the root ball from the pot and inspect the roots if they are not visible. Healthy roots are plump and often white. Unhealthy roots are black and mushy. Carefully remove as much potting soil as possible to get a good look. If you don’t see signs of unhealthy roots but the foliage shows signs of overwatering, take a sigh of relief that you caught the issue early. Repot the plant using fresh potting soil and an appropriately sized pot with drainage.

Troubleshoot Early Stage Root Rot

Damaged roots will not recover, but you can trim them. Pruning the roots to remove unhealthy sections will improve the plant’s health. Ideally, you want to cut one-third or less of the root system to help the plant thrive. Removing more than one-third of the roots may be fatal. If the plant has sustained that much root damage, its days are probably already numbered. Cut what you have to cut, repot and monitor the plant. If everything is going well and the plant appears healthy after several weeks, the root pruning was successful. If you see signs of decline after a few weeks, take cuttings to propagate because the plant is a goner.

The plant will not appear to grow for a while after the roots are trimmed. Don’t be alarmed. The plant is healing from the trim and growing new roots to replace what was removed. Growth above the soil line may significantly slow or even stop. The above-soil growth will catch up when the roots are in a good place, and the plant can redirect energy for foliage growth.

Plant Care Made Easy

Each situation is unique when it comes to deciding whether or not to repot a new houseplant. If the plant looks good and is healthy, let it stay put until it shows signs of being rootbound. If the new plant is not doing great, repotting can be a solution and will give the plant a fighting chance.