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Are you a gardener planning on repotting your African Violet plant and don’t know the proper steps that you must take to carry this task effectively without damaging the plant?
If that’s your worry, then this article will help to relieve you of the burden as well as guide you through every step Including answering other necessary questions such as the signs that depict that your plant needs repotting and how frequently you should report your plant.
Without wasting much of your time, let’s dive in!
Step-By-Step Guide On Repotting Your African Violet
As it is important to repot your African Violet plant to enable it to bloom and produce adorable fluffy leaves. There is a need to properly know the necessary steps on how best to repot and achieve the desired result at the end. So, to get it right, you must follow the steps listed below.
1. Prepare The Container
The first step that you must take when repotting your African Violet plant is by preparing the container that you intend to use. The best type of container is the use of a pot with drainage holes.
It is important that after mapping out the pot that will be used. You need to wash the container with soap and rinsing water. Clean the container very well to remove any hidden form of debris on it. Doing so will help to prevent any form of disease that might infest the plant from the root.
Also, you need to carefully check any form of soil blockage on the drainage holes.
Afterwards, grab your soil mix and fill the bottom layer of the pot with drainage holes. You can then use a thin layer of gravel to obstruct the soil from spilling out. This can be used if the holes are big but in a situation where they are just tiny, there wouldn’t be any problem.
2. Unroot The Plant
After that, you must have finished the first step and prepared the pot. Then, you can remove the plant. It must be carefully carried out to avoid damaging the plant in the process. I don’t think you would want that after the hard labour.
Just carefully grab the stem at its base and slowly pull the plant out of the container. If you encounter any form of resistance, you can opt to squeeze the sides of the pot or if the container isn’t malleable, you can add water to the soil which will make it much more easy to pull out.
However, it is important that while doing so, you should avoid pulling the plant from any of its leaves or the top part of the stem. This is because the plant is very delicate and the leaves will break off when pulled.
So it is best that you can also place the plant on its side and gently shake it out before pulling it out.
3. Satirize The Roots Of The Plant
By satirizing the root of the plant we mean disentangling the root from each other or separating them. This is regarded as the most essential step in the repotting process. It helps to prevent the root-bounding of plants’ roots thereby causing them to grow around each other.
Grab the plant by its root and untangle them gently until they are no longer wrapped around each other, this will allow them to grow outward into the free space when you replant them.
Also, avoid untangling the root too much but if you repot the plant often, the plant wouldn’t be too root-bound.
Read Also: 8 Common Tree Trimming Mistakes
4. Remove/Cut Out Any Damage
After you have untangled the root of the plant, then it is time to use your pruning shears to trim off any damage.
With your shears, remove any form of damaged or diseased leaves that might be on the stem of the plant which will cause any form of stunt growth to your African Violet plant.
Removing them will help to direct the plant’s energy toward recovery and root growth after you are done repotting the plant.
5. Replant Your African Violet Plant
The last step that you must take is to replant your African Violet plant in the container until the leaves are above the pot. Gently fill in any gap on the pot with more soil potting mix until the container is full.
Afterwards, you should water the plants from the roots as it requires the soil to be moisturized.
6. Provide Optional Aftercare
After you have replanted the African Violet plant in a new pot. Consider providing aftercare for the plant which can be done by placing your African Violet in a clean plastic bag for 7 days (1 week). Doing so will go a long way in boosting your humidity and giving your plant enough gas to grow healthy.
Be mindful of the bag or container that is in use to prevent the damaging to your leaves.
What Are The Signs That You Need to Repot Your African Violet
There are signs that you will see on your African Violet plant that shows that it needs to be repotted or that it is ready to be repotted. Sometimes, these signs show but since you can’t comprehend what it implies, you might often ignore it.
So we will outline those signs for future reference. These signs Include:
A. Soil Problems
The first sign that you should look out for in your African Violet plant is Soil Problems. Since this plant tends to grow in a very small container with a small amount of soil which causes it to require frequent watering and a lack of organic matter, in the long run, will slowly break down the soil strength over time from holding onto moisture. So whenever you notice such development, it is a clear sign that it is time to repot your plant.
B. Discolouration Of the Leaves
When you start noticing some changes on the leaves of your plant such as yellowing or browning edges or the leaves start falling off the stem giving it a long neck, then you should start preparing to repot the plant instantly.
C. Overgrowing Of The Root
Once you start noticing that the root of your plant has started overgrowing thereby causing a lack of enough space to produce effects which will eventually result in the shedding of the leaves off the plant, then it is another clear sign that you should consider repotting soon.
D. Overwatering
If you start noticing plant problems such as overwatering or the development of diseases like root rot. Then you should consider repotting as it will help to save your plant. However, it is highly recommended that you commence the processes immediately.
Read Also: When To Repot A Snake Plant [Signs It’s Time To Repot]
How Frequent Should You Repot Your African Violet Plant?
Most houseplants only require repotting every year or so at most. But I will highly recommend that you repot your African Violet plant twice a year.
For your younger plants, you should try and be repotting more often, sometimes as much as every three months but twice a year should provide the right balance to keep your plants satisfied.
This is not just referring to African Violet plants, it is also applicable to other houseplants.
FAQs
1. Should You Water African Violet After Repotting?
It is advisable to always water your African Violet plant once you are done repotting the plant. Though, you should avoid allowing the soil to stay wet for longer than 15 to 20 minutes. If it does, it simply means that you have overwatered the soil.
2. When Should You repot An African Violet?
For best results, you should repot your African violets that have grown in pots smaller than 3” every 2-3 months while you should repot violets in 4” or larger pots every 6-12 months.
3. Why Is My African Violet Wilting After Repotting?
If you are facing the situation of African violet wilting after repotting, then it is a clear indication that you have overwatered the plant. This type of plant requires it to be moist but not wet.
4. What Kind Of Soil Do African Violets Like?
African violets prefer slightly acidic conditions soils with a pH level that’s between 5.8 to 6.5 pH.
Conclusion
It is important to note that after repotting, there should be a few adjustments to allow the plants to adapt to their new environment.
Having said that, we hope that this article has helped lecture you on the basic steps that you must take to repot your African Violet plant.
