Green Corner Plants: How to repot a root-bound houseplant (raw transcript)

[00:00] Juno: This pothos has been in the same pot for three years, and today I'm finally repotting it. If water runs straight through your plant's pot, or roots are poking out the bottom, this video is for you.
[00:18] Juno: I'll show you how to tell if a plant is root-bound, how to pick the right pot, the soil mix I use, and how to tease out the roots without killing it.
[00:42] Juno: First, how do you know it's time? Three signs. Roots growing out of the drainage hole. Water running straight through in seconds. And the plant drying out way faster than it used to.
[01:35] Juno: Let me slide this one out. See how the roots go round and round the bottom? That's root-bound. There's almost no soil left.
[02:50] Juno: Now, the pot. The most common mistake is going way too big. Only go up one size, about two inches wider. A huge pot holds water the roots can't reach, and that's how you get root rot.
[04:10] Juno: And it needs a drainage hole. No hole, no deal. If you love a pot without one, use it as a cover pot and keep a plastic nursery pot inside.
[05:05] Juno: Soil. For pothos and most leafy houseplants, I mix two parts potting mix, one part perlite, and one part orchid bark. It drains fast but still holds some moisture.
[06:30] Juno: Don't use garden soil. It packs down like concrete in a pot.
[07:15] Juno: Okay, the scary part. Loosening the roots. Start at the bottom and gently pull them apart with your fingers. If it's a solid mat, you can make three or four shallow cuts down the sides with clean scissors.
[08:40] Juno: It looks brutal, but cutting the circling roots tells the plant to grow new ones outward into the fresh soil.
[09:30] Juno: Put a layer of soil in the bottom so the top of the root ball sits about an inch below the rim. Set the plant in, fill around the sides, and press lightly. Don't pack it hard.
[11:05] Juno: Water it well until it drains out the bottom, then let it drain completely. No saucer full of water.
[11:50] Juno: Aftercare. Keep it out of direct sun for a week, and don't fertilize for about a month. A little drooping for a few days is normal.
[13:10] Juno: That's it. If this helped, the soil mix recipe is in the description, and next week I'm doing propagating pothos in water. See you then.
[13:42] Juno: Bye!