If your houseplant looks droopy, root-bound, or just stuck in an ugly plastic pot, it might be time to repot. Done right, repotting can revive growth and keep your plant thriving—but done wrong, it can seriously stress or even kill it.

How to Repot a Plant (Quick Guide):

  • Gently remove the plant from its pot.
  • Loosen and trim roots if needed.
  • Replant at the same depth in fresh soil.
  • Water thoroughly.
  • Use a pot only 2 to 4 inches larger, depending on the size of your pot.

How to Repot a Plant in 5 Easy Steps

Man in brown apron pours earth into green pot
Anastassiya Bezhekeneva//Getty Images

Start by gathering your supplies. This is what you’ll need:

  • A workspace (you can do it outside or cover your counter with an old box or paper bags.)
  • Fresh potting mix
  • Small trowel
  • New pot. If you’re reusing an old pot, be sure to clean it first.
  • Gloves—if you don't want dirt under your nails.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Turn the pot on its side and trim off any roots that are sticking out of the bottom of the pot.
  2. Hold the plant by its stems, close to the soil, and ease the plant out of the pot. If it’s stuck, run the trowel around the inside edges of the pot to loosen it. (If it’s really stuck, water it a little and wait a few minutes.)
  3. Next, if the plant is root-bound—meaning the roots are tightly wound around the plant—loosen them up as much as you can by roughing up the surface with your hand.
  4. Trim off a few of the extra-long roots to stimulate the plant to send out new roots.
  5. Place the plant in the new pot at the same depth it was in the old pot, and fill in with fresh potting soil.
  6. Water well, and enjoy your fresh new look!

4 Signs Your Houseplant Needs Repotting

These signs will tell you if your plant needs a new home.

  1. The roots are poking out of the bottom of the planter or circling around on the surface.
  2. The plant is top-heavy and falls over easily.
  3. The potting mix dries out quickly and more frequent waterings are required.
  4. It isn’t growing like it used to and doesn’t look as perky as it once did. Even if it doesn't need a larger pot, refreshing the potting medium can bring it back to life.

What Size Pot Your Houseplant Actually Needs

You don’t want to go too big because the roots can’t absorb the water fast enough in a too-big pot and the plant may drown. For a small to medium-sized plant size up about 2 inches, meaning if your plant is currently in an 8-inch pot, go up to 10 inches. For larger floor plants, you should size the pot up about 4 inches.

The #1 Repotting Mistake to Avoid

Always use a pot that has drainage holes in the bottom. No plant likes to stay wet and will die quickly with soggy roots.

The old-school suggestion to place rocks in the bottom of a pot with no holes to improve drainage is a myth. Soil scientists have found that water does not move easily from layers of fine-textured materials (such as potting soil) to layers of a coarser texture (gravel, pebbles, whatever).

That means the water will sit there and eventually drown your plant! If you want to use a decorative pot that has no holes, simply place a smaller pot with drainage holes inside the decorative one.