Question
What is the best way to repotting this plant? I have a large one in my office.It has grown so long alone the top of my desk I would love to your veiws on putting this into a larger pot. HELP PLEASE

Answer
Hi Linda,

Did you know that unnecessary repotting is the single most common reason for plant failure? That is not commonly understood and folks often repot their healthy plants unnecessarily and then start to have serious problems a few months later.

Plants do best when they are quite potbound - more roots than soil inside the pot. Repotting is a bit like surgery and can be quite traumatic for plants, especially those that don't need larger pots.

The size of a plant is a poor indicator of whether a plant needs a larger pot. So are roots that wander out of drainage holes. So is the fact that a plant has not been repotted in a long time.

So how can you tell if a plant needs a larger pot? If there is no longer enough soil in the pot to retain adequate moisture for the roots for at least 3 days, then you can consider moving the plant to a pot one size larger.

Water your ivy thoroughly until the rootball is saturated. Then wait until the top half to inch of soil is dry. If it takes at least 3 days to dry out, then do not repot it.

When a plant needs a larger pot, when you unpot it you will find the outside of the rootball covered with roots. Use a fork to loosen this outer mass of roots. Do not worry about tearing some of these outer roots. Put an inch of fresh potting mix in the bottom of the new pot; set the rootball on top of that potting mix in the center of the pot; fill in the sides with more potting mix and tamp it down firmly. Then water it slowly and thoroughly and add potting mix wherever the mix sinks deep into the pot.

Healthy ivies do grow long vines. It is best to prune some of the longer vines way back from time-to-time. If you prune back to the center of the plant, then you will get new growth in the center where ivies tend to get a bit sparse if they are not pruned.

I have written an article on repotting that I will email to anyone who sends a request to my email address below.

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]