Repotting: When to Do It, and When to Leave Well Enough Alone

New plant owners tend to repot too soon and too often, usually out of a well-meaning instinct that a bigger pot is a kindness. It usually isn’t.

Most houseplants are perfectly happy slightly root-bound, and a pot that’s too large holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots can’t drink fast enough — which brings us back to root rot. The signals that a plant genuinely needs repotting are specific: roots growing out the drainage holes, roots circling visibly at the surface, water running straight through without soaking in, or growth that has simply stalled in the growing season.

When you do repot, go up just one pot size — an inch or two of new soil all around, no more. Do it in spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing and can recover fastest. And resist watering heavily right after; let it settle for a few days first.