It may develop yellow and dying lower leaves. Slow Growth: Finally, a rootbound Prayer Plant will probably slow or stop growing altogether. It’s a good idea to look for multiple clues when deciding if you want to repot. Depending on how deep your pot is, roots may never make their way out of the drainage holes.
This indicates that the pot is full of roots, so they are expanding into whatever space they can find.īe aware that Prayer Plants have a shallow root system compared with many other houseplants, so the root growth may be concentrated in the top of the pot. Roots Poking Out Through the Drainage Hole: Another undeniable sign that your Prayer Plant needs repotting is when roots start to emerge from the drainage holes.
If you see mainly roots and they’re coiled around in the shape of the pot, it is time to repot. If you see a lot of soil with just a few visible roots, you can wait for a while. Roots Coiling In On Themselves: If you can do it easily, you might want to remove the plant from the pot to check what’s going on with the roots. Again, this is related to the proportion of roots to potting soil in the pot and degraded soil quality over time. Soil Won’t Retain Moisture: When you water, you may also notice that the water runs right through and out from the drainage holes faster than it used to. Since the potting mix absorbs and holds moisture, it stands to reason that less potting soil will dry out more quickly. As more roots grow and take up space in the pot, the amount of available soil decreases. Watering More Often: If you find yourself watering more often than before, that can be a sign that your Prayer Plant has outgrown its container.
But appearances can be deceptive, so it’s a good idea to check for other signs. Lightweight pots might even fall over with the weight of multiple Prayer Plant stems. Top Heavy: Does your Prayer Plant look top-heavy? If the plant has a lot of growth emerging from a small pot, that could be a signal for you to consider repotting. Each plant is individual, so don’t just follow the calendar. Although you can usually expect to repot your Prayer Plant every 2-3 years, be sure you confirm that it’s necessary according to the signs below.
Prayer Plants can grow quickly if you provide them with the ideal environment.
Repotting gives the roots more room to spread out and provides your plant with necessary nutrients from the potting soil. But naturally, with time, your Prayer Plant will outgrow its container and need to be moved to a larger home. Prayer Plants generally need to be repotted every 2-3 years.Ĭaring for Prayer Plants can be tricky, and I usually recommend that you not make any unnecessary changes if your plant seems to be doing well. They do well in a typical all-purpose potting mix. It is best to move them to a container that is just one size larger and preferably shallow instead of deep. Repotting Prayer Plants is a similar process to repotting most other houseplants. Given the right conditions, Prayer Plants can grow quickly and will need to be moved to a larger container to accommodate their larger size. These plants (scientific name Maranta leuconeura) are available in several distinct color variations and patterns. Prayer Plants are consistently popular with indoor gardeners because of their beautiful foliage.