Repotting an elderly plant y/n
Hi folks; my Cloris has been going along in this glazed-clay pot for 4-5 years now. She's not visibly suffering, but she's not visibly thriving either; I suspect the soil is *extremely* depleted at this point despite the usual watering / misting / fertilization routine. Normally I wouldn't hesitate to repot, but we're talking a seven-year-old plant of a species that isn't *that* long-lived. Thoughts? Is it worth the potential system shock to get her into a fresh setup, or best to stick with routine / pallative care from here on out?
3ft to light, direct
4” pot with drainage
Last watered 2 days ago
3
Best Answer
Hi @BravePinkpoui I’m not sure what you mean by not that long lived? 🤔 I’ve seen calatheas that have been *decades* old, like triple and quadruple decades. Some have been passed down in families as an heirloom plant. With proper care, light, water, and nutrients plants won’t just kick the bucket randomly. They will go in as long as you are properly caring for them.
If that soil had any nutrients to begin with they are lonnnng gone. Like up to ~6 months in. Has yours only been repotted once? I would ABSOLUTELY repot. 💯
When you repot, check for any root rot, trim with sterilized scissors, and treat. I can tell you how to treat if you need.
What kind of soil do you use? If it comes with slow release fertilizer, hold off on your regular fertilizer and restart fertilizing after 6 months have passed.
Stop misting, unless it brings you a huge amount of satisfaction, but just know it comes with risks for not much reward. Misting does not effectively raise humidity, and it can actually increase your chances of pathogen infection. Any water droplets on a leaf Is like a landing pad for fungal and bacterial spores. 🦠 🛬
I see from your info card that Cloris is in direct sun, especially from the west, but that depends on how intense the light coming through your NW window is. 3 feet could be ok, but I can only imagine your set up.
How often do you end up watering? Does the water seem to drain straight through quickly?
She is quite probably root bound, but if not, you might find some root rot or dry rot. Prepare to treat her, and select a new pot thats slightly bigger than her current root ball. If you end up reusing her current pot because of poorly roots, make sure you clean it very well in hot soapy water, and sanitize it after that, before you repot her. All in all, Cloris actually looks amazing for not having been repotted for so long. I’ll bet you will see signs of utter happiness after repotting. 🪴
If that soil had any nutrients to begin with they are lonnnng gone. Like up to ~6 months in. Has yours only been repotted once? I would ABSOLUTELY repot. 💯
When you repot, check for any root rot, trim with sterilized scissors, and treat. I can tell you how to treat if you need.
What kind of soil do you use? If it comes with slow release fertilizer, hold off on your regular fertilizer and restart fertilizing after 6 months have passed.
Stop misting, unless it brings you a huge amount of satisfaction, but just know it comes with risks for not much reward. Misting does not effectively raise humidity, and it can actually increase your chances of pathogen infection. Any water droplets on a leaf Is like a landing pad for fungal and bacterial spores. 🦠 🛬
I see from your info card that Cloris is in direct sun, especially from the west, but that depends on how intense the light coming through your NW window is. 3 feet could be ok, but I can only imagine your set up.
How often do you end up watering? Does the water seem to drain straight through quickly?
She is quite probably root bound, but if not, you might find some root rot or dry rot. Prepare to treat her, and select a new pot thats slightly bigger than her current root ball. If you end up reusing her current pot because of poorly roots, make sure you clean it very well in hot soapy water, and sanitize it after that, before you repot her. All in all, Cloris actually looks amazing for not having been repotted for so long. I’ll bet you will see signs of utter happiness after repotting. 🪴
Hi @DreamMachine -- thank you so much for your response -- wanted to wait to respond until I had an update.
I repotted her two weeks ago and was pleased to find a healthy root system, though the soil was... barely soil, let's put it that way. (Organic-only around here; I don't trust fertilizer regimes I don't control!)
I hated that pot so moved her into a nice terracotta and reworked her tray situation into something water table-friendly, which is TBH more easily managed in her current spot than misting. (I have a superfine mister -- the perils of too many epiphytes; I have opinions on droplet size now 😐 -- but I prefer water trays especially in spring and summer.) The light's still pretty diffuse, as that NW window has a large butterfly bush on the other side, but the kalanchoes have been shifted into the prime spot while Cloris adjusts to all the newness.
And adjusting she is! So far the results seem positive; good color, good posture so to speak, looking full and healthy, and startling me now and then with the rustling. All signs point to a new lease on life -- thank you again for the guidance!
I repotted her two weeks ago and was pleased to find a healthy root system, though the soil was... barely soil, let's put it that way. (Organic-only around here; I don't trust fertilizer regimes I don't control!)
I hated that pot so moved her into a nice terracotta and reworked her tray situation into something water table-friendly, which is TBH more easily managed in her current spot than misting. (I have a superfine mister -- the perils of too many epiphytes; I have opinions on droplet size now 😐 -- but I prefer water trays especially in spring and summer.) The light's still pretty diffuse, as that NW window has a large butterfly bush on the other side, but the kalanchoes have been shifted into the prime spot while Cloris adjusts to all the newness.
And adjusting she is! So far the results seem positive; good color, good posture so to speak, looking full and healthy, and startling me now and then with the rustling. All signs point to a new lease on life -- thank you again for the guidance!
@BravePinkpoui ooh fabulous, what a great update, thank you!! Yay Cloris 🥳 I’m so pleased to hear that she has a healthy root system. And it doesn’t surprise me in the least that there was barely any soil in there 😅
A terracotta pot and a water tray can be a good thing for those in our special PNW climate. 👍 As they love moisture, but of course can also be susceptible to root rot. (If you were in TX for example I would say never terracotta) Thay will help you to be able to water her as she likes while the terracotta wicks away moisture from her roots. (And I too, have definite opinions on droplet size from misters/spray bottles 😂)
Sounds like a good spot you have for her 😄
As I reread my original comment, my brain needs me to edit ✍️ 😆, so I wanted to point out that there are plants, like annuals and biennials that DO have a determinate lifespan, and won’t last forever…. Unlike your Calathea in her spiffy new pot and soil 🙌 Do you have any pictures? 😄 Keep up the good work!!
A terracotta pot and a water tray can be a good thing for those in our special PNW climate. 👍 As they love moisture, but of course can also be susceptible to root rot. (If you were in TX for example I would say never terracotta) Thay will help you to be able to water her as she likes while the terracotta wicks away moisture from her roots. (And I too, have definite opinions on droplet size from misters/spray bottles 😂)
Sounds like a good spot you have for her 😄
As I reread my original comment, my brain needs me to edit ✍️ 😆, so I wanted to point out that there are plants, like annuals and biennials that DO have a determinate lifespan, and won’t last forever…. Unlike your Calathea in her spiffy new pot and soil 🙌 Do you have any pictures? 😄 Keep up the good work!!
