As our plants grow, they need slightly larger containers. If we don't transplant them, in the short or medium term, growth would stagnate and there would come a time when the roots would not only run out of nutrients, but also the plants would end up dying.
It is for this reason that it is very necessary to acquire large pots, especially if we have trees, palms or other types of plants that reach significant sizes. But, How do you know when it is time to use them?
Identify the signs of the need for a transplant
Before knowing that a plant needs a larger pot, we must identify those signs that will indicate that it has that need. The new options are the following:
- The roots begin to show through the drainage holes.
- The plant takes a few months or even years that, despite looking good, has not grown at all.
- When you take it by the trunk or main stem and want to extract it from the pot, it comes out without problems, with the whole root ball.
If you have any of these signs or if you have never been transplanted since it was purchased, it is convenient change the pot.
When to use a large pot
The large pot is designed to hold one large plant, or a group of small plants. Each time it is transplanted, pots that are between 3 and 5cm wider than the previous one must be chosen, unless they are fast growing, in which case those that measure between 6 and 10 cm more will be more advisable.
Depth is also an issue that we must take into account. Plants should not be placed in a 50cm deep pot than in a 20cm deep pot. As a general rule, woody plants (trees, shrubs, conifers) and palms should be planted in pots that are roughly as wide as they are deep; instead, the herbaceous and the bulbous, as well as of course the bonsai, have to be planted in one that is wider than deep.
Thus, your plants can continue to grow without problems.