Repotting can be a good way to revive an ailing plant. Often plants can have a build up of fertilizer salts if you've been using synthetic chemical fertilizers. Plants can also become "root bound" or "potbound" which means they have grown and filled much of their pot with roots. Signs of being root bound often look like under watering. Roots growing out of drainage holes are another sign that a plant may need to be repotted. What you will need: a new pot, slightly larger that the old one, fresh potting soil, a small piece of window screen or a few pieces of broken terracotta, and a bucket of lukewarm water. First, pull the plant out of the old pot, swish the root ball around in the water to remove the old soil. Then place a piece of window screen or the broken terracotta shards over the drainage hole, in order to allow water to drain but to prevent new soil from coming out of the pot. Put a few inches of soil in the bottom of the pot, gently break apart the roots and arrange them (still attached to your plant) in the new pot. Next, add more soil to the pot to fill in around the roots, pushing the soil down gently to get rid of any air pockets. Finally, water the plant well and let it drain. After a short while, water the plant again.

Repotting can stimulate a plant to grow and is best done in the early springtime. You don't want to encourage new growth during low light times of the year or the new shoots may be weak, light colored or elongated.

Make sure the new pot you will be using is somewhat larger than the current pot. But, be careful not to go too large all at once. Using too large a pot can result in overwatering and an unhappy plant. Drainage may not be required for moisture loving plants. If you choose sealed ceramic pots or pots without drainage holes you may need to water a lot less. Adjust accordingly. After repotting, all plants may need less water than they did before. Terra cotta pots become darker when still wet. Use the pot color as an indicator and water accordingly.

After repotting, plant may stay moist longer than before. Adding fertilizer to the soil at the time of repotting can increase the likelihood that new growth will be stimulated Look for specialty soils for cacti and palms, violets & ferns and orchids. Remember not to repot low light plants outside in full sunlight.

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