Instructional writing sample for general audience
Why write a plant re-potting guide?
It’s an interesting documentation exercise for a technical writer because the procedures are physical and are informed by best practices. I had recently begun learning basic gardening tasks at home, and I was surprised at how difficult it was to find accurate and complete information about re-potting the specific plants that I had. The below instructions are applicable to nearly all potted plants.
Assessment: do you need to re-pot?
You need to re-pot your plant if any of the below are true:
- The plant is too big for the pot.
- The plant needs constant watering, as evidenced by wilting, leaf color, etc.
- Water remains on the soil surface long after watering.
- Roots are visible on the surface of the soil.
- Roots protrude from pot drainage holes or are breaking the pot.
Items you need:
- Gardening gloves - not required, but recommended.
- Hori-hori knife - not required but recommended for removal of plants from very large pots.
- Hand trowel for scooping soil.
- New potting soil - either with or without fertilizer. Check to see if your specific plant needs fertilizer, or if it should not be fertilized (like California natives, for example). Best quality potting soil is available from nurseries. Commercially available potting soil from big box stores is inferior.
- New pot with a drainage hole, sized a few inches wider and deeper than the old. Do not choose a pot that is too large, because there will be too much soil that has no roots, leading to waterlogged soil and eventual rotting of roots.
- Landscape fabric or a piece of pottery to cover the new pot’s drainage hole.
Remove plant from the pot
For a large plant in a heavy ceramic pot:
- Use a hori-hori knife to gently scrape along the insides of the pot. A kitchen spatula may work as a substitute. “Cut” all around the plant.
- Tip the pot to its side, grasp the trunk, and gently pull to help the plant slide out. A few additional gentle taps on the sides with your fist or a rubber hammer may be necessary.
For a large or small plant in a plastic pot:
- Tip the pot slightly onto its side, and gently pound the sides of the pot with your fist or rubber hammer to help loosen the plant.
- Turn the pot upside down while supporting the top of the root ball with one hand. The plant should break free.
For a small plant in a ceramic pot:
- Turn the pot upside down while supporting the top of the root ball with one hand.
- Next, make a downward throwing motion, with a short stop. Repeat as necessary. You should feel the plant break free.
Check the plant’s roots and straighten if necessary
If the plant and soil came out in one piece, and the roots are visibly circling the soil, the plant is rootbound.
If rootbound,
- Gently pull the roots away, digging in with one finger, starting on the bottom and then working around the sides.
- When done, the root ball should have the same shape as before, but a bit smaller.
Roots should be white or light in color. Black, dark-colored, or foul-smelling roots are usually signs of a different problem, e.g. fungal disease.
Prepare the drainage hole in the new pot
Place a small section of landscape fabric across the hole(s) at the bottom of the new pot. Alternately, use a piece of pottery to cover the hole, with the convex side up, so the hole won’t be sealed. You are now ready to add soil.
Place the plant in the new pot
- Add enough soil to the bottom of the new pot so that the top of your plant’s root ball will sit approximately 2 inches below the rim.
- Place the plant into the pot.
- Fill around the sides with soil mix, but do not pack the new soil tight. Help the soil settle by tapping the pot against a flat surface.
- Next, add water. The first watering will cause the soil to further settle. Additional soil may be added, but allow at least .5 to 1 inch of space between the top of the soil and the top of the rim to allow space for a thorough watering.
Add top dressing, if desired
- For succulents, it is recommended that you have a layer of rocks on top of the soil to retain moisture.
- For all other plants, a top dressing is optional.
Your repotting project is now complete.