Repotting Anthurium Plant – When & How To Repot Anthurium?

Repotting a houseplant is considered to be one of the most tedious processes in gardening by many beginner houseplant owners.

To an extent, it is true. Because while repotting there is a high chance that you will put your plant under stress and might even damage the roots.

So, it is highly necessary for houseplant owners to know everything related to repotting their beloved plants in a proper way without stressing the plant.

If you got an anthurium plant, then you’re in luck. I will be sharing everything you need to know about repotting anthurium in this article.

Here are the topics that we cover in this article,

• Repotting Anthurium
• When To Repot Anthurium?
• How To Repot Anthurium?
• Lots more.

Let’s dive in.

Repotting Anthurium Plants

The first step in repotting anthurium is to prepare a new potting soil mix following anthurium soil requirements. After that cut and remove all the wilted, dry leaves and flowers in your plant using a sterilized cutting tool. Then uproot the anthurium slowly from the old pot, place it in the new pot and water the plant thoroughly. 

If you are repotting to fix any root issues, then you have to follow the corresponding care guidelines to treat the root before planting it into the new pot.

Don’t worry, we’ll be discussing all of them below.

When To Repot Anthurium?

It is recommended to repot your anthurium every two years. If you are looking for the best time to repot your anthurium plant, then summer and spring are the best choices. It is due to the fact that tropical plants like anthuriums can produce a lot of excess energy in the summer season and it can be used to quickly recover the plant from transplant stress or shock. 

Repotting anthurium is a highly stressful activity for the plant. So, before even touching the plant you should make sure that the plant really needs to be repotted.

Based on the evidence collected from fellow gardeners, here are the most common reasons for repotting anthurium plants.

1. Root bound
2. Root rot
3. Old Soil
4. Bacteria or mold disease
5. Bad pot

Let’s take a closer look at each of these instances so that you can easily make a decision whether it is the right time for you to repot your anthurium plant or not.

1. Root Bound

Root bound is the situation when the roots of your anthurium plants are restricted by some barrier to expanding further. In potted plants, the barrier will be the walls of the pot or container.

Common symptoms of root bound are roots coming out of drainage holes, roots visible at the top, potting soil coming out of the drainage holes, slower growth, etc.

When the roots of your anthurium plants cannot expand further, they will start curling and grow around the walls of the container. At some point, there won’t be any more space left inside the pot and the roots start to come out through drainage holes or appear above the top layer of the soil.

The early stages of root bound may not be a big problem for your anthurium plant, but if the roots block the drainage holes, then the excess water will get trapped inside and cause unnecessary issues. 

Also, root bound anthurium will grow slower due to the less aeration inside the soil.

So, if you see any of the above said symptoms of root bound, then it may be the right time to think about repotting the plant in a bigger pot.

2. Root Rot

Root rot is one of the most commonly seen reasons for repotting anthuriums among beginner houseplant owners.

When the roots of your anthurium plant start to rot, then there is no other way to save the plant other than repotting it into a different pot.

If you suspect your anthurium plant is having root rot, then look out for the symptoms like a rotten smell from the plant’s base, slow growth, discoloration in leaves, etc. 

Even though these symptoms do not tell 100% whether your anthurium is having root rot, but still it is a good starting point. If you find some of these symptoms, then be ready to repot the plant. 

Root rot is a serious issue for any plant. So, check out our dedicated article on how to save anthurium from root rot and save your plant on priority.

3. Old Potting Soil

It is a known fact that the nutrients in the potting soil deplete over time. So, if your anthurium plant is in the same pot for two years, probably all the nutrients might have already depleted.

Even though adding fertilizers will improve the nutrient density in the soil, still, aged soil will not be able to store the same amount of nutrients compared to fresh soil mixtures. 

Apart from the lack of nutrients, old potting soil also lacks enough aeration and water drainage capabilities which might cause serious problems like root rot or bacterial blight in the near future.

So, if your anthurium is sitting in a container for two years then it’s time to repot your plant into a new pot with a fresh soil mixture.

4. Bacterial Diseases

If your anthurium plant is affected by any of the bacterial or fungus diseases, then it is always recommended to uproot your plant from the old pot and repot in a new pot with a fresh potting mixture.

Some of the commonly seen bacterial diseases in anthurium are bacterial blight, bacterial wilt, phytophthora, black nose disease, Rhizoctonia root rot, etc.

If the infection is in the early stages, then you can treat the anthurium plant with fungicides and other homemade pesticides like neem water. 

But, if the infection keeps coming back after treatment then the problem might have reached the roots and soil mix. In such instances, it is best to repot the plant in a new pot with sterilized soil media.

5. Bad Pot

Most of the time, the pots that come with the plant when you buy from the nursery will be low quality plastic ones. Based on multiple studies, it is a proven fact that plants love to be in earthen pots like ceramic or clay instead of plastic.

In such cases, repotting to a better pot is recommended.

Sometimes you could be tempted to repot your anthurium into a new designer pot solely to improve its appearance in your home. It’s not wrong, but you should be careful.

Frequent repotting is not good for anthurium plants. So, if you’ve repotted your plant in the last six months, then it’s better to wait for a couple more months before repotting into that fancy container.

How To Repot Anthurium?

Here are the step-by-step guidelines you should follow to repot your anthurium plant.

1. Choose a new pot

To repot your anthurium, you should be ready with a couple of items. And, the first one on the checklist is a new container or pot.

Even if your anthurium did not overgrow the existing plant, it is advised to repot it in a new pot so that the chances of old problems returning can be reduced to none.

If your anthurium has overgrown the existing pot, then purchase the next size pot. Never go two sizes above the existing one. Too large pots can also have a negative effect on the growth of the plant.

If you’re repotting anthurium due to bacterial or fungal disease, and you’re confident that the plant hasn’t outgrown its current container, then you can use a new same size pot.

Regarding the container material, it is recommended to buy clay or ceramic container.

2. Prepare the right soil mixture

Once the new pot is ready, the next thing on the checklist is to prepare a nutritious soil mixture for anthurium plants.

If you do not have much time to make your own potting soil mixture, then I would advise you to buy premade soil mixtures that are specifically made for anthurium plants.

On the other hand, if you are someone who likes to mix your own potting soil, then make sure that the mixture has good aeration, drainage capability and water holding capacity.

The best potting mixture of anthuriums should have equal parts of perlite, peat moss and pine bark. If peat moss is not available in your country, then you can replace it with coconut husk or coco coir.

3. Make sure the work area is safe

It is highly recommended to sterilise the entire work area and all the tools that you are going to use while repotting anthurium to prevent any bacterial or fungal infection.

Also, most of the anthurium varieties are mildly toxic to both humans and pets due to the presence of calcium oxalates. 

While repotting, you will be in close contact with the plant’s sensitive areas like roots it is advised to wear sterilized gloves to prevent any irritation.

4. Uproot the plant from the old container

If everything is set, then it’s time to start the repotting process.

Start by uprooting the anthurium from the old pot. Turn your plant sideways and try to pull slowly by holding the stem.

If it seems very tight, then sing your other hand pat around the wall of the container from the outside. Still, if it’s not coming out easily, use a knife to run around the pot’s edge.

5. Clean or treat the roots

If you are repotting anthurium because of overgrowing its old pot, then you don’t have to complicate the process. All you have to do is remove the existing soil by slowly tapping the roots.

Once the majority of the soil is removed, clean the roots using running water to completely remove all the soil. If you want, you can dip the root in a hydrogen peroxide solution to make sure that no bacteria or fungal infection occurs in the near future.

On the other hand, if you are repotting your anthurium due to root rot, then before cleaning you need to cut all the rotten roots. After cleaning, it is highly recommended to dip in hydrogen peroxide to prevent further root rot.

If the bacterial or fungal infection was the reason for repotting anthurium, then additionally treat the roots with a diluted chemical fungicide or homemade solutions like neem oil.

6. Plant your anthurium in the new pot

If you’ve cleaned your anthurium’s root then it’s time to repot it into the new pot.

First, fill half of the new pot with potting mixture. Then place your anthurium inside the pot and fill the remaining. Leave at least two inches of space at the top for safe watering.

While putting the soil mixture inside the pot, do not use any force to settle the soil because it will cause the soil mixture to lose its aeration and drainage capacity.

7. Make the plant settle

Once the repotting is done, it’s time to water the plant.

You need to water thoroughly from all the sides of the container so that the soil settles in uniformly throughout the container. 

Water your anthurium till the water comes out of the drainage holes, because if water is not coming outside maybe something is blocking the holes and you may have to take a look at it immediately.

With that being said, you’ve successfully repotted your anthurium plant. Give the plant some time to settle in it;’s new pot, then you can start the normal anthurium care routine.

Repotting Anthurium – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

In this section, I will be answering some of the most commonly asked questions regarding anthurium repotting so that you don’t have to search them separately.

Wrapping Up

Repotting anthurium is definitely a tedious process for beginner plant owners. But, if you know the steps beforehand, then it is really a matter of half an hour.

Just watch out for the symptoms of root rot and other bacterial infections. If you see any of them, repot your plant immediately. If not, just repot them once every two years in a new bigger pot.

Sources

To back up the information we provide in our articles, the Plantials team only uses high-quality sources published in peer-reviewed university or scientific research journals.

1. Alternate Substrates For Anthurium Production, Food And Agricultural Research Council, Réduit, Mauritius.
2. Growth And Yield Of Anthurium In Response To Sawdust Mulching, Scielo Brazil
3. Standardization Of Growing Medium For Anthurium, Navsari Agricultural University, India
4. Survey Of Root Rot In Anthurium, Harvard University/Vancouver University/Chicago University.
5. Nature Of Enhanced Severity Of Anthurium Root Rot By Diuron Treatment, Wiley Online Library.