If you’re the kind of person who loves plants but has no idea what to do with them or how to keep them- succulents are a great way to introduce yourself lightly into the plant care world. Cactus, Aloe Vera and Crassula are great plants to have in the house, they are low maintenance, and if looked after properly, will survive a long time.
I personally own 3 Cacti and 7 Aloe Vera plants (I know that sounds a lot, I started with 2!). These are a great way to inject a bit of colour and life into your house, without you having to worry about forgetting to water them. Of course, at some time or another they will need to be taken out of their pots and put into larger ones- and any baby plants will need to be moved into other pots.
It can seem a little daunting to re-pot plants, and you may think that you’re going to mess up and kill your plant. But don’t worry, it’s really easy and I’m going to talk through the process step-by-step.
Signs to look out for:
- Brown Tips on the end of leaves
- Darker Leaves than usual
- Flat leaves- little or no gel when snapped
What you’ll Need
- Dessert/Cactus Compost- OR half all-purpose compost/ half sand
- Plant Pots with water holes and Trays
- Gloves and a trowel (if you don’t want to get your hands dirty)
1.Lay out all of the plants you’ll be re-homing. Make sure you set up your work space near to a flower bed, because when you are pouring compost into the pots it can get messy and you don’t want to cover the grass in soil.
2. Next up, take your first pot and gently tip the contents upside-down into your hand. You’ll be able to see a whole network of white roots encompassing the compost- this shows that your plant doesn’t have enough room to grow and has taken over the space it can- trying to find nutrients.
3. Being gentle- start to crush the compost between your fingers until it crumbles onto your plant bed. If you don’t have a big enough plant bed to do this over- you can use a tray or tub instead. Be careful not to break any of the roots. Place your plant down and repeat the process. If you come across baby plants in the same pot as larger ones, just put them all to one side.
4. Once all of your plants are lined up, it’s time to begin filling your pot with new compost. Fill each pot approximately halfway. At this point make a small well in the compost and choose your plant, then lower the roots into the well. Hold your plant at one side of the pot whilst you begin to add more compost around the side- making sure to pack it tightly. Continue all the way around your plant until the pot is full and your Aloe Vera is firmly in place. Repeat with all.*
*for the babies, you can place multiple together in one pot as they grow.
5. Water your plants by pouring a god amount of water into the the trays before placing your pots on top. Do not water from above. As the leaves are densely packed, this won’t benefit your plant as the water won’t reach the roots.
6. Place them in a sunny spot and watch them thrive! And if you’re lucky they might even flower!
I hope this guide was easy to follow, have you got any tips on how you keep your plants in top shape? Let me know in the comments 🙂
We were going to grow some of these this year, but decided against it. I will keep this in mind for when we grow them next year.
I always manage to overfeed my plants or plant them wrong so I have made a promise to myself to follow your lead. Speaking of which I should really add some aloe vera plants to the mix.
Aloe Vera are really a great choice if you struggle to remember to feed them or are unsure of how to look after plants, they are really low maintenance and the flowers are really pretty 😊
Thank you for this! We have several aloe vera plants, and one or two are starting to need some TLC. Great guide!
Thank you!
This is great advice! I’ve ruined plants in the re-potting process before so it’s good to have an in-depth guide.
Thank you! The key thing here is not breaking the roots, that’s what causes the most damage
I am definitely a low maintenance person when it comes to plants and the 3 little cactus I have on my kitchen window sill are my longest living plants ever. I expect they will need reporting at some point so thanks for the tips xx
I have 3 cactus too on my bathroom windowsill, easiest plants I have ever had!
I have heard that those who like gardening keep cactus and aloe-veras. Im from India, Im not very sure you are familiar with it or not; but back home Keeping a cactus is deemed with bad luck. so we dont really find many cactus plants in the gardens. Unless someone is bold enough to break the norms .
Ahh i didn’t know that, so interesting!
I am not sure you knwo it, but in India keeping a cactus at home is considered as bad luck. So We dont really keep many. and those who do break the societal norms.
I had an aloe plant a few years ago but it died, I wish I had these tips then. I need to get another, they are life savers.
They really are! If i ever burn my hand cooking i’m straight on my aloe breaking off it’s leaves!
I am hoping to get some Aloe Vera this summer and maybe some other plants. I’m hoping I will be able to keep them alive. I manage to kill all my plants. 🙁
This is so useful, thank you very much! I love having plants but I always kill them, involuntarily 🙁
It’s easy to do, I’ve killed plants before as well! These are the easiest ones I’ve ever had!
These are some really helpful tips. I have an aloe vera plant and it is going well since the past one year. I hope it remains good or I will definitely apply your tips.
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My mom is fond of gardening. She was thinking about putting some seasonal ornamental plant in her garden. I guess Aloe Vera is perfect as its medicinal as well as ornamental. I will pass this post to her! Thanks for sharing about it!
Thank you! They are really great for burns!
I never succeed with plants to be honest but as summer starts I am renovating the balcony and I guess I have an aloe vera there. This post would be very helpful.
I am bookmarking your article. I have a small aloe plant that I received planted in a fridge magnet pot. I am trying to save it, to replant it in a bigger point and I had no idea where to start or what kind of soil to put. The poor thing has a baby too, which I am scared not to kill when I take it out…
Aww thats cute, yeah i know what you mean- but don’t worry too much they are sturdy little things! The most important thing is not to break the roots, other than that it’s a simple process
Reading this post reminds me of my grandmother, she loves gardening.She always decorated her home with beautiful aloe plans, I would often help her care for them.