When to Repot an Avocado Plant

Watching an avocado plant grow can be very rewarding, especially if you grew it yourself from a seed. If you don’t repot your plant in time, it won’t have any space to grow. Knowing when and how to repot an avocado plant is very important. If you have a new plant, you should learn how to repot it as you will need to repot it a few times over the years as it grows.

How Can You Tell That it’s Time for a New Pot?

The first thing you’ll need to know about repotting your avocado plant is how to tell if repotting is necessary. You might think that it’s difficult to be able to tell if a plant has grown too big for its pot. There are a few general rules that you can use to check to see if your avocado plant has outgrown its pot.

The first thing that you should look at are the plant’s roots. If a pot has more roots in it than there is soil, this is called “rootbound.” There is no more space for the plant to grow inside of that pot and it will mean that the plant will not be healthy and might die if you do not repot it soon.

If your avocado plant is in a pot that makes it difficult to check to see if it is rootbound, there are other signs that you could look for. If you have been watering the plant correctly but the leaves are still starting to look yellowed or otherwise unhealthy, it might mean that it needs more space to grow.

You can also check to see if there are any roots growing out of the drainage hole in your pot. This is a sign that the plant is rootbound as the roots are seeking out new places to grow outside of the pot. If you can’t lift the plant out of the pot to check the roots, this is a great way to be able to check to see if the plant is rootbound.

Another sign that you would need to repot is if your avocado plant is nearing the edges of the pot or is much taller than the pot. Think about how the root system might look. If your avocado plant is two feet tall but the pot is only ten inches tall, it might be time to give it a new pot. Or if the pot keeps tipping over from the weight of the plant, it’s time to repot as well.

What Kind of Pot Is Best?

Choosing a new pot might seem overwhelming. There are an infinite number of options for you to choose from, which can make the choice seem more difficult than it actually is.

What you need to look for in a new pot is just enough room for your plant to grow. You want to leave some extra space so that the roots can spread out and you want to get a pot that’s big enough that you don’t need to repot it again soon. Your plant would prefer a new pot that is only a few inches bigger than the old pot.

Make sure that you look for a pot that has good drainage. It’s essential that you purchase a pot that has at least one drainage hole at the bottom. If the pot does not have any drainage, the risk of overwatering becomes even greater.

A plant that is overwatered in a pot that does not have adequate drainage will be sitting in too much collected water. This could lead to the plant dying. If the plant isn’t able to soak up the water in time, it will cause the roots of the plant to rot.

Bringing a plant back to being healthy after it has been consistently overwatered is very difficult. Finding a pot that has drainage will make root rot significantly less likely and it will be easier to water the right amount as a lot of the excess water will drain out of the bottom of the pot.

How Should You Repot?

When you repot a plant, there are a few steps to take to make sure that it goes well. On the day that you repot your plant, make sure that the plant hasn’t been recently watered. If the soil is too damp, it could be muddy and difficult to hold as you take the plant out of the pot. If the dirt is more dry, it will be easier to lift the plant out of the new pot.

Once you have your avocado plant out of the old pot, you’ll want to take a look at its roots. If you notice any rotted or dead roots, you can just cut those away. This will make your plant more healthy as it grows new roots. If you are unsure how to tell if a root is rotted or dead, look at the color. If it’s significantly darker than the other roots, chances are that you should remove it. This is mostly relevant if your avocado plant was rootbound in the old pot, which could have led to dead roots or rotting roots.

To prepare the new pot, add a layer or soil to the bottom. Make sure that you know how tall the roots of your avocado plant are so that you know how deep to plant it. You don’t want to run out of space in the pot for your plant and have it sticking up too high. You’ll also want to make sure that you don’t leave more than an inch of space between the surface of the soil and the rim of the pot.

Place the avocado plant into the pot. Hold it center with one hand and with the other, scoop more dirt into the sides of the pot until the pot is full and the avocado plant is centered and secured. Water your plant lightly so that it can adjust to the new pot and grow out its roots.