Do I need to change the soil of my plant? This is a question that is widely discussed in online groups of plants and in social networks. There are several schools of thought. Some people think that the plants are planted in “bad” soil and need to be changed immediately if the plant has a chance to survive.
Others think that it is better to wait a month or two before repotting so that the plant can get used to its home. And yet others think that potting soil is potting soil and it does not matter. So, what is the correct answer? None of all of the above? All of the above? Keep reading to find out!
This article will also be part of a longer series of articles in which we will discuss specific re-potting mixtures. Now back to the original question…
DO I NEED TO CHANGE THE SOIL OF MY PLANT?
First, let’s talk about light
Think about the growing conditions in your house: probably low to medium light. I am thinking of light in terms of the conditions of commercial growth: bright light is considered to be about 2,000 to 5,000-foot candles. This is what plants get when they are grown in California under the shading fabric.
The direct light through my east-facing window in the summer is about 3,500-foot candles, so this is considered “indirect light” by kindergarten standards, even if our eyes see the direct sun falling on the leaves.
If you do not have a photometer at hand, you probably overestimate the available light for your plants.
Let me add a little more details about the measurement of light, which is very revealing. Remember that the intensity of light varies greatly, among other things, depending on the time of day, cloudy or sunny weather, the time of year, as well as the distance of a window in the interior.
Nursery floors are designed for use in nurseries
We now know that kindergartens have a GREAT light. Since plants use water in photosynthesis, great light means that a plant consumes more water.
We also know that plants lose water through respiration, so an increased flow of air dries out a plant. Fans in a greenhouse or the breeze in outdoor cultivation fields provide this airflow.
Due to these two factors, nursery plants drink much more water than plants in their home.
These nurseries can water daily or use a 100% coconut culture medium that contains a ton of water. It is ideal for these plants, as they use the water in a short time.
When you bring this plant home, you put it in a weaker light with much less airflow than before, which means that it reduces your water consumption.
In the end, nursery floors are excellent when used in nurseries. At home, they can be problematic, so we recommend flower earth mixtures that are specific to indoor plants.
When should you change your floor?
Most of the answers that you will find online advise you to change your soil immediately or wait 1-2 months for your plant to acclimatize.’
Again, neither of these opinions is entirely correct, since neither one nor the other addresses the reasoning behind the answer. As a rule, when someone makes such a statement, he does not even have a reason, except “this is what I do and my plants are happy.”
We want you to understand the why so that you can make informed decisions.
Root Fragility-Does your plant need a while to recover from repotting and regrow its root hairs?
If this is the matter, it means that during the recovery it does not get a lot of water, so you can see one or two boiled leaves (SEE THIS VIDEO for MORE information on cooking LEAVES or watch the episode of the podcast on cooking leaves).
If this is a plant that takes a long time to recover from repotting, you may want to wait a little while to report. The reason?
Slowing of plant metabolism.
When a plant is in the nursery, it is accustomed to incredible light, a lot of nutrients, and water and grows very quickly.
When you move home, growth usually slows down – but this does not happen right away! This metabolic slowdown can last from 2 to 6 months and will be characterized by a gradual slowdown in water consumption.
I noticed it all the time when I considered new plants in my old work, especially with aglaonema plants. They are relatively fast growers and consume A LOT of water in the nursery, so a brand new aglaonema under the same conditions would drink at least twice as much as an older aglaonema.
Many times I put a new aglaonema right next to the one who was 2-3 years old, and the new one constantly drank more for at least six months.
What to keep in mind here: if your plant is in crazy growth mode and also takes some time to recover from repotting, it will not be able to get the water it needs to support the growth it is about to do.
Waiting a few months for it to slow down its growth is a good idea – then the recovery after repotting will have less effect on the plant. You can also use the water storage capacity of the kindergarten floor and not go crazy by constantly watering this plant.
Another reason to wait: you need to get to know your plant!
If you are new to houseplants or even new to this plant variety, it is a good idea to create a base before making any adjustments.
Therefore, if you are familiar with begonias, but buy a variety that is new to you, take a few weeks to get acquainted with it.
You may notice that he is very similar to your other begonias, or you may notice that he drinks a lot more or less water. This is great information as it can help you illuminate your choice of soil as well as your choice of pot.
BUT WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO WAIT TO REPORT?
That’s good! Perhaps you brought home a plant with a massive infestation of fungus gnats and do not want them to swim in your morning coffee.
Perhaps you can say that during transportation the plant experienced difficulties for several weeks: days of darkness, an employee of the garden center who “watered too much“, etc.
Maybe you just want to report and finish! While it is perfectly acceptable to report immediately, here are a few points to keep in mind.
Do not be surprised if your plant “lights” a few leaves.
Cooking leaves is what your plant does when it needs a jar. If he can’t get enough water from his roots, he will use the water from his lowest/oldest leaf as a kind of “water bottle”.’
Nursery floors are designed for use in nurseries
We now know that kindergartens have a GREAT light. Since plants use water in photosynthesis, great light means that a plant consumes more water.
We also know that plants lose water through respiration, so an increased flow of air dries out a plant. Fans in a greenhouse or the breeze in outdoor cultivation fields provide this airflow.
Due to these two factors, nursery plants drink much more water than plants in their home.
These nurseries can water daily or use a 100% coconut culture medium that contains a ton of water. It is ideal for these plants, as they use the water in a short time.
When you bring this plant home, you put it in a weaker light with much less airflow than before, which means that it reduces your water consumption.
In the end, nursery floors are excellent when used in nurseries. At home, they can be problematic, so we recommend flower earth mixtures that are specific to indoor plants.
When should you change your floor?
Most of the answers that you will find online advise you to change your soil immediately or wait 1-2 months for your plant to acclimatize.’
Again, neither of these opinions is entirely correct, since neither one nor the other addresses the reasoning behind the answer. As a rule, when someone makes such a statement, he does not even have a reason, except “this is what I do and my plants are happy.”
We want you to understand the why so that you can make informed decisions.
Root Fragility-Does your plant need a while to recover from repotting and regrow its root hairs?
If this is the matter, it means that it does not receive much water during recovery, so you may see one or two burned leaves (for more information on leaf blight, see this video or The Podcast episode on leaf blight).
If it is a plant that takes some time to recover from repotting, you should wait a little with the repotting. The Reason?
Slowing down the metabolism of plants.
When a plant is in a nursery, it is used to incredible light, a lot of nutrients and water and grows very quickly.
When you move home, growth usually slows down – but this does not happen immediately! This slowdown in metabolism can last from 2 to 6 months and will be characterized by a gradual slowdown in water consumption.
I noticed this all the time when I added new plants to the accounting at my old job, especially the Aglaonema plants. They are relatively fast growers and consume a lot of water in the nursery, so a brand-new Aglaonema would drink at least twice as much as an old one under the same conditions.
Often I placed a new Aglaonema right next to one that was 2-3 years old, and the new one constantly drank more for at least six months.
The takeaway here: if your plant is in crazy growth mode and it also takes a while for it to recover from repotting, the water cannot allow it to support the growth it is about to do.
It is a good idea to wait a few months for the growth to slow down – then the recovery of the repotting will have less impact on the plant. You can also use the water-holding capacity of the nursery soil and not drive yourself crazy watering this plant all the time.
Another reason to wait: you need to know your installation!
If you are new to indoor plants or even just new to this type of plant, it is a good idea to define a baseline before making any changes.
There are even differences between plants of only one species, so if you are familiar with begonias, but you are buying a new variety for them, take a few weeks to get to know them.
You may notice that he is very similar to your other begonias, or you may notice that he drinks much more or much less water. This is great information, because it can inform both your choice of soil and your choice of pot.
BUT WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL I PUT THE STEW BACK ON?
It’s okay! You may have brought home a plant with a massive fungal mosquito infestation and you don’t want them swimming in your morning coffee.
Perhaps you can see that the plant struggled for several weeks during transportation: days of darkness, a garden worker who “watered too much“, etc.
Maybe you just want to repot and put it behind you! Although it is completely okay to repot right away, here are a few things to keep in mind.
1.Ne don’t be surprised if your plant pulls a few leaves.
Leaf blight is what your plant does when it needs something to drink. If he can’t get enough water from his roots, he uses the water from his lowest/oldest leaf as a kind of water bottle.’
For example, I recently neglected my hanging Pothos vines. The potted mixture became dry, which led to the fact that the lower leaves “pulled” and turned yellow, as shown in the photo below.
But that doesn’t really answer your question – I know.
In the end, you do what works for you. Now you know what considerations to make so that you can make an informed decision for your Situation.
With my own plants, I’m all over the map. Running a business and taking care of a family takes a lot of time, so even though I like to bring the plants home in a month, sometimes I wait because I just don’t have the time.
During this time, I make sure that the plants are well lit and I make sure to adapt my care and watering to your needs.
Sometimes I wait to repot specifically because I had not yet had a specific plant variety, such as my Geogananthus ciliatus. I wanted to learn something about it before disturbing its root system.
Sometimes I repot before a plant even enters the door because fungal mosquitoes flew into my mouth on the way home by car 🙂
And sometimes I put a plant on a shelf and throw water on it for several years, and then I do a massive repotting. I feel bad because of them, but hey – we are all humans. Here, no judgment is allowed-only growth 🙂
Mixing a soil that matches your plant can be daunting – we’ve done it for you!
