Dave

The Peace Lily is an example plant. It was the plant I had available at the time I thought about making the post.

Repotting is the term I have always used and never had a problem. But I will change it to "potting up" so there's no further confusion.

I did not picture the untangling of roots or removal of old soil because the post is about "potting" not "helping a rootbound plant."

Sorry for the confusion.

Thats what I do. Especially useful with prickly cacti! And yes it is repotting, but in most cases you should tease the roots out a little but it depends on the plant. Some dont like root disturbance at all.

True. However, peace lilys have no issue with untangling of roots and/or root pruning.

I understand the post is not about helping a rootbound plant, however, the plant in the photos is indeed rootbound, which is why I brought it up.

I edited the post, stating what I did with the roots and the soil.

I am with Dave on this...while it may sound like 'nit-picking', there is a difference between potting up and repotting.

Potting up is increasing pot size and adding the necessary soil.

Repotting involves removing all old soil, from the root ball completely. Trimming/prunning many of the roots - not dangerous, but beneficial to the plant if done correctly, planting plant into completely new soil. One can use existing pot (roots are decreased and so often old size is sufficient), or new pot - not always bigger (sometimes even smaller).

Nurseries don't do that very often - too much work and many plants are sold quickly. But for a hobbyist, it is quite a difference and needs to be done at times...hope I didn't mix it up :)

So while it doesn't look like it, there is a difference and there is a reason to do full repot (not necessarily every year). But I never heard about it from any store/GH employee either.

Mrsjbeltram, the method for potting up you posted could be quite helpful - many ppl worry about 'how to do it'.

Yes, I wasn't trying to nit-pick. I was just pointing out a few things. A lot of new growers check these forums for advice and it's important to have all the facts in order so people can learn to do things the right way.

Too many refer to potting up as repotting, but there's a huge difference.

mrsjd: Keep up the good work.

rina_Ontariot

I'm wondering what you mean't about GH not doing "this." As in repotting and potting up, or the method I posted? I don't think the local nursery I learned this at uses it on thier plants. An empolyee was just showing me something she does for her plants.

Dave

I can't edit the post anymore, so I hope what I did edit helps for furture reference.

Thank you both for your imput and clarifaction. :)

mrsj

What I meant was that garden centers-greenhouses-nurseries do not do full repots (getting rid of all soil, pruning roots, potting into new soil - or if they do, probably very seldom); they will pot up plants they grow for sale as these get bigger, but that's where it ends. Obviously, they want - and most often do - sell plants as fast as possible, so full repot doesn't need to be done. But they often have older plants that have been there for years, and the full repot is likely not done.

Potting up method you have been shown is also geared to save time - not a criticism, just a fact. And it is always good to save time :), regardless where one learns it.

rina_Ontario

I understand now.

Faster is why I like it. With two kids I don't get much time with my plants.

Yeah, I definitely don't trust many nurseries or their advice unfortunately.

Theyre really just trying to get your money and a lot of the people (not all obviously) really don't know all that much about plants.

A nice local nursery around here has a few big ficus alli and benjamina. They're so incredibly root bound (literally looks like they're in a wicker basket) and over grown that they'll likely never sell. They need a lot of work and I even emailed them, but no one responded or cared.

I agree. I find myself wanting to get all the poor plants from Walmart and save them. That place doesn't do anything for the plants. They keep them outdoors, under some netting and when it poured for days last week most the plants where so full of water.

Yes they taught me that too. People are amazed how much easier it is when I tell them.

very nice tip. Thanks. I learned a few things here, as usual!

Good idea and I always say repotting. When doing greenhouse work, you don't want people to think your crazy. HAHAHA !

I say repotting as well (I mean, I try to say repotting. But autocorrect always puts in reporting haha)

Though now that I read this thread, I see I have also done my share of potting up.

bunkfree_4a_canada Mine does too! Lol. It's very aggravating.

What?? In all the years I repotted plants I never removed the old soil and they did fine. I worked for a very intelligent, old nurseryman in Vero Beach, Fl. We repotted plants most of our days and never did this. We never had any problems with them growing.

Zzackey, then you potted up all of those years.

zzackey I only removed the soil because it was root bound, so I could work the roots loose. I don't normally remove soil when I'm potting though, unless there is something wrong.

The thought process of managers of nurseries and greenhouses, and plant "professionals" that take care of the indoor potted plantings of others are often conflicted between the good of the plant and the good of the bottom line, with the plant most often ending up on the short end of the stick. It simply doesn't make good monetary sense to spend the time it takes to nurse one or 2 declining plants back to health unless all it entails is a change in watering practices, a quick remedial spray of plant medicine, or a shot of fertilizer. Even potting up is often ignored or the plant allowed to progress to the state of root congestion where it's too late for potting up to be of much value. Even this seeming oversight is reviewed and decided upon based on whether or not it makes economic sense.

Example. You can pot up indefinitely to larger pots without the plant being forced to endure limitations associated with root congestion if you pot up before the roots reach a state where the root/soil mass can be lifted from the pot intact. What the grower with plants not yet pot bound weighs is this: It will cost me X amount of dollars for new containers, soil, and labor to pot up, and even though I know I will have healthier and larger plants to sell, will I be able to recoup my costs. If yes, then the grower will make the expenditure and pot up, if no, he'll hope the plants stay healthy enough to sell. Most often, this would be a decision made by nurseries as greenhouse ops already have a plan in place to pot up from plugs to to increasingly larger pots. For rootbound plants, and even though it's in the best interest of the plant to repot (includes soil removal, root pruning, correcting problem roots), it will almost certainly not even be considered because of the time expenditure involved.

The difference between the knowledgeable hobbyist and the plant "professional" is in the fact that the hobbyist's primary focus is usually on the plant's best interest, rather than the bottom line.

The primary difference between potting up and repotting is, one completely eliminates limitations associated with root congestion and the other ensures the limitations will remain until such time as the plant is no longer viable, or someone actually gets their hands in the root mass and corrects the problems.

Al

Most container plants are not bonsai. Simply repot until you want it to be a bonsai. DO NOT PRUNE ROOTS UNTIL THAT TIME ! ( potting up = information vacuum lol )

I think the information vacuum is all in your head.

I've never seen you expand on the growing gaggle of "suggestions" that always run counter to what someone else said. Why not share some of the store of knowledge that allows you to wax discordant with anyone that makes a reasoned effort to provide illumination?

Repot and pot up are not synonyms. Repotting includes root pruning and removing all or a large fraction of the soil, so what you said is the equivalent of saying, "Get in your car and drive, BUT DO NOT START THE VEHICLE UNTIL YOU ARRIVE AT YOUR DESTINATION" ........ and no one at any time mentioned bonsai.

If your long term strategy is continually potting up, please supply us some pictures of all those plants in huge pots you've been keeping healthy for all these years .......?

Al

That's a great tip, mrsj. I usually end up manhandling the plant in and out of the pot a few times, adding and subtracting soil to get it just right. This method would be helpful.

I'm sure your peace lily will respond well to the POTTING UP.

Repotting is putting a plant in a bigger pot with or without root pruning. Potting up is putting seedlings or cuttings, offests etc into their own pot(s)

It could be a matter of symantics tho-I'm British.

Its like you guys say dirt. We call garden soil dirt and the stuff we put in pots we call compost.