houseplant Archives - SHOPPE BLACK

Published on March 2, 2022March 3, 2022

4 mins read

How to Repot Your Houseplants The Right Way

If your plants have outgrown their pots or require frequent watering, it might be time to repot them. Depending on how actively they grow, in order to keep your houseplants healthy, you need to repot them every twelve to eighteen months.

Repotting your plant might sound tricky and daunting, but don’t worry! Here’s a step-by-step guide that can help you along the way.

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Steps to Repot Your Houseplant

We recommend that you repot your houseplants right before the start of Spring, before summer growth. Following these three simple steps should help you successfully repot your plant.

1. Remove Your Plant from its Current Pot

On the day before repotting, water your plant well. A healthy, well-fed plant will adapt to new environments better than an underfed, dry one. The next day, you can remove your plant from its pot and loosen its roots.

We recommend that you turn over your pot and tap the bottom until your plant slides out. If your plant resists, you can gently tug on the stem base until it eases out.

When you loosen the root ball, be gentle with it so you do not cause any root damage. Make sure you remove rotting or dead roots and prune any long, thread-like roots. If you have a root-bound plant, unbind the roots slowly and trim them.

2. Potting Mix – Remove the Old, Add the New

Usually, repotting involves replacing the potting mix and doesn’t always mean that you have to change your planter. Unless your plant is too big for its container or you have a root-bound plant, you don’t have to repot it into a larger planter.

However, if you do need to repot it into a bigger planter, remember to only move one size up. Moving up in size too quickly can cause more harm than good to your plant’s long-term health.

If you’re sticking with the old pot, you can remove more than one-third of the potting mix and replace it with a fresh layer of potting soil. You can add potting soil directly into the planter if you’re shifting your plant into a new one.

Center your plant and set it an inch or two below the rim of your container. Ensure that you don’t repot your plant too deep, as it requires more space for its roots to grow. Add more planting mix around the plant until it’s secure. Don’t pack your soil too tight as your roots require room to breathe.

3. Water Your Plant Well

After you finish repotting your plant, pat down and even out the soil on top. Water it thoroughly until you notice liquid seeping from your planter’s drain holes. Your plant requires plenty of moisture to recover from the move. Watering also better helps the soil settle around your plant’s roots.

If some of your plants are too large to repot, you can remove a few inches of soil and replace it with new compost. Also, keep in mind that most store-bought potting mixes and compost have fertilizer included. So you don’t have to fertilize a freshly-repotted plant for the first six weeks.

If you’re interested in expanding your family of plants, Torpedopot can help set you up with a self-growing garden. If you have further questions for us, contact them at 215-290-9013 or online.

Published on February 19, 2022March 2, 2022

5 mins read

5 Reasons Why Your Plants Keep Dying and How To Save Them

For any gardener, the relationship with their plants can get complicated when they start withering and dying no matter how much you care for them.

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You water them regularly, keep away the pests, give them all the nutrition it needs; still, somehow, they end up dying on you every single time.

It can get frustrating and discouraging when that happens often. Let’s discuss the most common reasons your plants keep dying and smart ways to save them.

1. Not Watering the Right Way

Did you know that each plant requires a different amount of water? That’s right. So, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been watering your plants regularly or not if you are not doing it the right way.

Some plants need more water than others. Also, excessive watering can rot your plants and kill them. Make sure you understand your plants and get enough water—no more, no less.

Inadequate drainage is another issue that contributes to plant damage. If you flood the pot when you water it and do not have a working drainage system, your plant is doomed.

Torpedopot’s self-watering system can help you water your plants the right way and take off the pressure from you.

2. Not Getting Adequate Sunlight

If you remember your botany lessons from middle school, you probably know about the intrinsic connection between plants and sunlight.

On average, plants require 6-8 hours of sunlight a day. But, some plants benefit from more sunlight than others, and some require less sun time.

Excessive exposure to sunlight can dry out plants, while not getting enough sunlight stunts the growth of plants. It is important to know your plants well to determine the amount of sun they should be getting and place it accordingly.

3. Poor Soil Condition

Poor soil conditions may be the cause of your plants’ continued death, even after you’ve provided them with the necessary quantity of water and sunlight.

Check the quality and texture of the soil to ensure that your plants grow well. Each plant requires varied sand, silt, and clay soil ratio.

Your plants will thrive in soil that is well balanced and rich in organic matter and plant nutrients. Aside from soil type, elements such as pH level and mineral content influence whether your plant will live a healthy life or die early.

4. Mold and Fungus

Whether you have a yard or simply a few houseplants, pests and plant diseases can infest plants. Knowing how to clean and care for your plants properly will keep them healthy and extend their lives. White mold is infectious, which means that if left untreated, it can swiftly spread to other plants.

Powdery mildew can block photosynthesis in plants, causing them to weaken and wither over time. Using home remedies like neem oil, mouthwash, vinegar, or store-bought products can help save plants.

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5. Too Much Fertilizer

Sometimes too much love can hurt. Likewise, if you have been adding too much fertilizer without checking how much the plant needs, you may cause them harm. While the right amount of fertilizer helps the plants grow, overuse can burn the roots and kill the plant.

Without the roots, the plant will not absorb food and nutrients from the soil and eventually dies. Using just enough fertilizer and diluting it before applying are very important. Also, one must ensure to not fertilize when the ground is burning-hot as it can cause root damage.

Taking care of plants requires time and effort. You need to do enough research on each plant to ensure you give them the care they need. Investing in products like Torpedopot’s self-growing planters can take some of the work off your hands.