Question
Greetings from Croatia!
I have just bought a young maranta. As my previous one died, I consulted your web site before even touching it.
I think I now understand why the old one died.
You say DO NOT MOVE IT TO A BIGGER POT, but the one it arrived in is really TINY (8 inches high, bottom 8 top 10 inches in diameter, while the plant itself is between 16 and 10 inches tall, it already has 4 quite big leaves and three smaller ones, growing on 4 separate stems.
How long should I keep it in this original pot?
Please take into consideration that, even though I can keep the plant away from direct sunlight as You recommend, the indoor summer temperatures here may go up to 30 degrees Centigrade and I have no air conditioning.
Hoping to get Your answer soon, I thank You in advance.

Helija
Zagreb, Croatia

Answer
Hi Helija,

My neighborhood in Astoria, Queens, NY has a large Croation population as well as people from other Balkan countries.

The 10-inch diameter pot is plenty large enough for your Maranta and probably will be indefinitely. You cannot judge pot size by appearance or by the presence of roots poking through drain holes. The ony reliable indicator is to water your plant thoroughly and then wait to see how long it takes for the soil to reach the appropriate level of dryness once again. If that happens in less than 3 days, then it is probably ready for a pot one size larger.

During spells of hot weather, you may find the soil dries out sooner than usual and you will need to adjust your watering frequency accordingly.

I have written an article on repotting that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who emails a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to HorticulturalHelp.com