Perhaps some variety soul bestowed a Norfolk Island pine tree upon you during the holiday season . And you keep this festive houseplant alive – nice work !
Now you are contemplating the labor of repotting this endearing living Christmas tree .
Fear not , this is not such a grueling task – and you may even want to skim it ! You ’ll find out what I mean shortly .
Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin
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I ’m extend to track the pros and cons of replanting Norfolk Island pines as well as some alternate solutions .
I ’ll also explain the full timing for the chore , as well as the supplies you ’ll involve . And I ’ll provide detailed rule of thumb for accomplishing this chore .
Here ’s everything that ’s come up :
What You’ll Learn
Why You Might Not Want to Repot
Repotting your know Christmas tree may seem like an component of standard care . houseplant do grow while they ’re inside our homes , after all , so they must need bigger containers from time to time – right ?
But there ’s a reason why you might prefer to hop this workaday houseplant maintenance task , or at least do itveryinfrequently .
As many seasoned Norfolk Island true pine proprietor know , these coniferous trees can finally outgrow our homes .
While they are n’t really pines , they are , indeed , tree diagram . These are trees which can grow to be one to two hundred foot tall when planted outdoors !
One path we can keep these conifers from outgrow our homes too quickly is to limit the absolute frequency of repotting .
Gerard Klingman , retired horticulturist at the University of Arkansas Agricultural Extension , explains that by limiting the container size of this houseplant , we can throttle its root growth and can keep the coniferous tree at a more manageable size for our households .
If this sounds foreign to you , deal that Norfolk Island pines can be used to createbeautiful bonsai .
This is a technique which drastically cut back the conifers ’ roots , set aside us to keep them as miniatures rather of by nature maturing , tower tree .
If preserve this works at a more manageable size by restricting its root increment sound like a brainy idea , I advocate you only repot when the industrial plant is drying out too quickly between waterings – and even then , you might be able to find a better solution .
Keep reading to teach more .
When to Refresh Your Houseplant’s Soil
If you ’re hoping to keep your inhabit Christmas tree at an indoor - friendly size of it , you might still want to consider refreshing the plant ’s ground every distich of years , but returning the conifer to the same smoke .
Soil can break down and become compacted over sentence , so an occasional freshening up can help keep your specimen healthy , and its roots well - aerated .
Another highly recommended time to switch out your living Christmas tree ’s soil is when your plant has experienced radical rot , a condition that tends to arise from either poor drain , overwatering , or some other factor that leads to mucky roots .
In the instance of root hogwash , you should inspect your plant ’s rootage and trim away any that are dead or rotting .
Then substitute the older soil with fresh growing medium , and transplant to a pot that is well - sized for the roots of your tree – this may mean move your houseplant to a smaller container if an outsize heap was a factor that led to rot .
in conclusion , if your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is dry out out too chop-chop between waterings , and the intellect seems to be a growing culture medium that does n’t have enough water retention , consider keeping the same sized mass but switch to a develop culture medium with better water retentivity .
A note on this level – soil that is well - suited to one climate may not be ideal in another , so take your indoor temperature and relative humidness into account when choosing a soil mix .
When to Move to a Larger Container
Have high roof ? If , on the other hand , you are n’t concerned about restricting your houseplant ’s growth , you could transfer your living Christmas tree diagram to a larger container every year or two .
Keep in mind that it ’s respectable to transplant when your specimen is in a period of active growth , in spring or summer . Doing so will permit your houseplant ’s roots to grow into their newly elaborate soil home at the ideal time .
Choosing a Growing Medium
Dwelling in coastal areas in its native habitat , the Norfolk Island pine grows in sandy , chalky loam in the wild .
That mean it ’s a good idea to choose a growing medium that has some sand in it for your houseplant .
This backbone is n’t just mean to make the plant feel at home symbolically . It will help to provide proficient drainage as well as stabilise the tree in its container , help it remain hard upright .
Soil Mender 109 Potting Mix
Soil Mender ’s 109 Potting Mix is my preferred growing medium for these conifers .
Thispeat - freemix containscoconut coir , perlite , pine barque fines , and compost , as well as sand , giving the medium both good drainage and first-class water supply keeping .
you may purchase Soil Mender ’s 109 pot Mixat Arbico Organics .
Choosing a Container
If you ’re repotting your houseplant because the growing culture medium has insufficient drain , or because your plant has root rot , you may reuse the same sized container – or a smaller one , if necessary .
If you’redealing with root rotand reprocess the precise same container , make certain to sterilize it first .
Washing the container with warm , buttery water and then wiping it down thoroughly with H peroxide will help to take care of any bacterium or kingdom Fungi lingering on the container ’s surfaces .
On the other hand , if your specimen is sizable , you’re able to jump the sterilization step if repot in the same container .
When channelise your plant to a large container , opt one that is only one size turgid . This will allow a bit more room without promote torpid roots . Clean and sanitize it before utilization .
Making sure the mickle has drain holes is just as important as picking an fitly - sized container – this will aid toprevent the fearsome root rot .
If you have a cosmetic cachepot that you screw but which has no drainage holes , invest the houseplant first in a plastic or terra cotta container with drain holes , and then set it inside the cosmetic sens .
Are you wondering if you should utilize terra cotta or charge plate ? If you live in an desiccated climate or are a flake absentminded about watering , pluck credit card , which will keep on moisture longer .
On the other hand , if you are the type of plant life parent who tends to overwater , you might try terra cotta .
It will allow wet to melt more apace , aid to make up for your overzealousness with the watering can . ( Hey , no opinion , it ’s just about knowing one ’s weakness and adjusting accordingly ! )
How to Repot
When it ’s finally clip to repot , gather your supply first . You ’ll need some growing metier as well as a new container if you are transferring your living Christmas tree diagram to one that is larger , small-scale , or better - draining .
Once you have your supplying gather up , start by softly tiptoe the plant life out of its current container .
If this leaven to be harder than it sounds , pull out ( gently ! ) on the houseplant at the base of the trunk rather than grabbing it by its branches .
Once you have extricated your houseplant , essay to loosen up the ascendent of the flora next .
If your coniferous tree is rootbound , this may require a second more work . For tightly bound roots , fret your hand along the edges of the ascendent glob until the roots start to loosen up and are sticking out .
On the other mitt if your old soil mix was very chunky and loose , the ancestor may easily come completely free of the one-time ground .
If the source are healthy and have a fair bit of soil left around them , try on relax a routine of the soil out so that you may mix it in with your newfangled territory . This will help urine transfer between the two land mediums – you ’re create a bridge between the old and the new .
However , if you are repot because of root rot , endeavor to remove as much of the old soil as potential .
Now , place a little of your new soil in the bottom of the container and fix your plant .
ensure the tree diagram ’s crown is about half an column inch ( for smaller specimens ) to an inch ( for medium - sized specimens ) to two inches ( for magnanimous specimens ) below the rim of the container .
Once your houseplant is well - locate , fill the container in with your growing sensitive . cautiously avoid bury the crest of the tree in potting soil – keep it at the same level in the soil as it was produce before , unless it was plant too deeply .
If your works look like it ’s either too deep or too eminent in the container , conform the amount of soil beneath the root lump and shift it .
Leaving half an column inch to two inches of distance ( depending on the size of your container ) between the surface of the soil and the brim of the container will aid assure that you could irrigate without splatter soil over the edge .
Tap the bottom of your new transfer coniferous tree thinly on your employment surface to settle the soil in , and add more growing medium if needed .
irrigate your works in and generate it to its common localization . Voila , you ’re done !
To Repot or Not, That Is the Question
Now that you recognize the right techniques for repotting your living Christmas tree , first you ’ll have to resolve whether you do indeed take to carry out this procedure – or not !
And if you want to memorize more about growing and care for this festive houseplant , be certain toread our pure guide to grow and caring for Norfolk Island pines .
Are you rethinking your decision to repot your conifer in rescript to restrict the growth of your houseplant ?
And for more information about growingNorfolk Island pine tree , have a read of these guide next :
picture by Kristina Hicks - Hamblin © demand the Experts , LLC . ALL right field RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Product photo via Arbico Organics . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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