{"id":3736,"date":"2022-08-23T07:17:39","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T07:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/?p=3736"},"modified":"2022-08-23T07:22:31","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T07:22:31","slug":"to-pot-or-not-to-pot-grow-pot-vs-planter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/23\/to-pot-or-not-to-pot-grow-pot-vs-planter\/","title":{"rendered":"To Pot or Not to Pot: Grow Pot vs Planter"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Grow\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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New to Plant Parenthood?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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So your plant arrived in its nursery grow pot\u2014now what?<\/p>

When you bring your new plant home in its nursery grow pot, you might be tempted to pot it from grow pot into a planter right away. However, you’ll be more successful if you let your new plant acclimate to its new environment first. Why?<\/p>

It might sound strange to say about a plant but given the potential stress of acclimating to a new environment\u2014adjusting to different light, levels of humidity, and temperature\u2014you don\u2019t want to unroot your plant at the same exact time. Think of its grow pot as allowing it to staying safe in its original home for a while.<\/p>

So first, place your plant in the spot you plan to keep it and let it acclimate for about 2-3 weeks. (If it\u2019s the the spring\u2013summer growing season, you can shave off a few of those days to get it in a new planter sooner. More on that below.)<\/p>

After this adjustment period, you can decide to leave as is or fully pot it into a\u00a0decorative planter. Remember, potting a plant early on is optional: as long as it looks healthy and the roots have space to keep growing, you don\u2019t need to lift a finger!<\/p>

We break down different plant parent preferences below, and what to look when assessing if it\u2019s time to pot your plant.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why some prefer nursery grow pots<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Some plant parents prefer to keep their plants potted in their nursery grow pots within decorative planters for months, as long as the plant still has room to grow. They do this for a variety of reasons, some of which you\u2019ll find below:<\/p>

Ease of watering: Grow pots have drainage holes so you don\u2019t have to be as mindful when you water<\/p>

Added planter choice: Grow pots give you the ability to use decorative planters that don\u2019t have drainage holes (\u00e0 la cachepot) – the decorative planter serves as a saucer, catching excess water that drains out<\/p>

Easier to move: Easily move your plant from one decorative pot to another when refreshing your decor, without added weight<\/p>

Time of year: If it\u2019s fall or winter, the plant is semi-dormant and growing slow, so it doesn\u2019t need more room or new nutrients<\/p>

About that last bullet\u2026 did you know even indoor plants can be on a seasonal schedule? The best time to repot your plant, be it introducing a new planter or simply providing fresh new soil, is during the\u00a0spring\u2013summer\u00a0growing season. This is when plants will have the energy\u2014thanks to more sun and longer days\u2014to make use of the new nutrients in\u00a0fresh soil\u00a0and grow into the extra space of a new planter.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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When to consider fully potting<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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So now that you know you can keep your plant in its grow pot if you prefer, here are some reasons why you\u2019d want to eventually pot it into its planter, outside of aesthetic preferences.<\/p>

It\u2019s grown up: You know your plant has outgrown the nursery grow pot if…<\/p>

Roots are growing through the drainage holes at the bottom of the grow pot<\/p>

Roots are pushing the plant up, out of the grow pot<\/p>

It\u2019s top heavy, and falls over easily<\/p>

It\u2019s growing slower than normal (outside ofwinter dormancy)<\/p>

The size of the plant is three times or more the size of the grow pot<\/p>

Dry potting mix: Your plant\u2019s potting mix dries out more quickly than usual, requiring more frequent waterings<\/p>

It\u2019s the season: Your plant could use fresh potting mix and more space for the spring\u2013summer growing season<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How to pot your plant<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When the time comes to move your plant from its nursery grow pot into its planter, here’s what you’ll want handy in addition to your plant and planter:<\/p>

Fresh potting mix<\/p>

Lava rocks or similar, if your planter does not have a drainage hole<\/p>

We carry apartment-friendly sized bags of indoor potting mixes, as well as lava rocks,\u00a0here. Or use your favorite all-purpose indoor potting soil for houseplants and container gardens. River rocks or gravel can be substituted for lava rocks. Essentially you\u2019re looking for something to create crevices at the bottom of the planter for excess water to pool into, away from the plant\u2019s roots. To learn more about why this is necessary, check out our video on drainage\u00a0here!<\/p>

Now that you have your supplies, here\u2019s the steps you need to take to move your plant from its grow pot into its earthenware planter. (Prefer a visual? Watch our plant expert go through the motions\u00a0here!)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Steps to pot your plant<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Remove plant from nursery grow pot<\/b><\/strong>
Turn your new plant sideways, hold it gently by the stems or leaves, and tap the bottom of its grow pot until the plant slides out. You might need to give it a bit of help with a couple gentle tugs on the base of the stems. If it\u2019s very secure, you can also cut through the plastic grow pot with a pair of scissors.<\/p>

Loosen the roots<\/b><\/strong>
Now that you\u2019ve removed the grow pot, loosen the plant\u2019s roots gently with your hands. You can prune off any threadlike roots that are extra long, just make sure to leave the thicker roots at the base of the foliage. If your plant is root bound \u2013 the roots are growing in very tight circles around the base of the plant \u2013 unbind the roots as best you can and give them a trim.<\/p>

Remove some potting mix<\/b><\/strong>
Remove about one third or more of the potting mix currently surrounding the plant. As it grew in its grow pot, your plant removed some of the nutrients in the current mix, so you’ll want to give it fresh mix if you’re potting it anyway!<\/p>

Add new potting mix<\/b><\/strong>
Pour a layer of fresh potting soil into the plant\u2019s new planter and pack it down, removing any air pockets. If your planter does not have a drainage hole, layer the bottom with lava rocks or similar before adding the potting mix to create crevices for the extra water to pool into.<\/p>

Add your plant<\/b><\/strong>
Set your plant that you removed from the grow pot on top of the fresh layer of mix in the new planter, making sure it’s centered, then add potting mix around the plant until it is secure. Be sure not to pack too much soil into the planter, as you want the roots to breathe.<\/p>

Water and enjoy<\/b><\/strong>
Even out the potting soil on top, water well, and enjoy!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We\u2019ve got you!<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For some, the mantra\u00a0\u2018plant care is self care\u2019\u00a0means the convenience of leaving it in the nursery grow pot, while for others, it may mean getting your hands dirty to repot. We say: do what works best for you! Do not be afraid to try different methods for different plants. And if you\u2019re overwhelmed and unsure\u2014ask us. We\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New to Plant Parenthood? So your plant arrived in its nursery grow pot\u2014now what? When you bring your new plant home in its nursery grow pot, you might be tempted to pot it from grow pot into a planter right away. However, you’ll be more successful if you let your new plant acclimate to its new environment first. Why? It might sound strange to say about a plant but given the potential stress of acclimating to a new environment\u2014adjusting to different light, levels of humidity, and temperature\u2014you don\u2019t want to unroot your plant at the same exact time. Think of its grow pot as allowing it to staying safe in its original home for a while. So first, place your plant in the spot you plan to keep it and let it acclimate for about 2-3 weeks. (If it\u2019s the the spring\u2013summer growing season, you can shave off a few…<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,24],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3736","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-green-plants-and-flowers","7":"category-potted-plants"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3736\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}