Question
Hi Will,
My Anthurium plant is more than 2 years old. I have taken care of it well and it is green, healthy and flowering almost all the time. The plant is 2 ft tall and 20in wide, sits in a plastic pot which is 6in diameter and 4in high, by the window of my bright apartment in Toronto, Canada. The plant is now growing out of its pot and I would like to repot it. My questions are:

1.Can I repot the plant when it is flowering? There are now 5 flowers and 1 more to open soon
2.Can I repot it into a plastic pot 10in diameter and 7 in high?
3.Can I use a mixture of all purpose potting soil, perlite and orchid mix as a potting medium? If so, at what ratio?

I would hate to be the cause of any harm to my happy Anthurium. Please help.
Thanks


Answer
Hi Geeta,

Your Anthurium is thriving and flowering, doing all that you could want! So there is no need to repot it, although it might look like it is too large for the pot. In fact, part of the reason it is flowering so well is because it is tightly potted.

If you repot, you will interrupt the flower cycle, prevent flower development for the near future, and substantially increase the risk of root rot.

So there are lots of reasons not to repot and no good reasons to repot.

(BTW, if your plant did need a larger pot, then it should go into a 7" or 8" diameter pot, but not a 10 inch.)

If you would like a more complete understanding of repotting, send an e-mail request to my address below for a copy of my repotting article.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions. If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]