Have you ever wonder whether you’re putting your plant in the right pot size or not?
Maybe in terms of size, shape, or material, you feel like there’s something off…
This may be true, hence you need to take into consideration…
… all of the things related to pots that may affect your plant.
Hear it from Paul!
I have had an experience with a pot size too big for my plants…
It happened in the beginning of my years as a plant lover…
I thought that bigger pot sizes will give bigger room for my plants to grow…
But it turns out that bigger pot sizes will eventually cause more harm than good…
For example, my snake plant that was potted in a bigger pot…
Experienced root rot since I watered it too much than it should…
I thought to myself that big pots mean more water, so I water loads…
Then I found out that that much water for a plant too small is unbalanced…
Don’t be like past Paul…
I’m sure you’re here reading this article…
… because you want to learn, or maybe you’ve experienced what Paul had shared.
Either way, I hope this article will help you out with your concerns…
First thing to note on this matter is…
Plant growth requirements are key components which determine the growth and survival of introduced flora. Among the various growth requirements, the effect of container or pot size is very important for seedling production and post plant performance. Pot size has a huge effect on plant growth and it may affect root and shoot growth, biomass accumulation and partitioning, photosynthesis, leaf-chlorophyll content, plant water relations, nutrient uptake, respiration and flowering.
H.S. Al-Menaie, O. Al-Ragam, N. Al-Dosery, M. Zalzaleh, M. Mathew and N. Suresh in Effect of Pot Size on Plant Growth and Multiplication of Water Lilies (Nymphaea sp)
Read on…
What Happens If You Put A Plant In A Pot Size Too Big?
When repotting a plant into a pot, we need a pot size that is big enough for the plant…
A large pot directly impacts how tall a plant will be…
Based on the fact stated above, we have observed that plants kept outside…
… in too-small containers might have stunted growth.
But what if you put a plant in a too-large container?
Put a plant in a pot that is too big, and you will encounter some significant growth problems…
The plant won’t be able to absorb necessary nutrients from the soil…
Plants must be placed in a container which is compatible with their pot size…
Conversely, plants that are not potted properly may suffer from root rot…
Likewise, if the pot size is bigger than the plant’s requirement…
… then the plant might grow much faster than it used to, which is also dangerous to the plant.
Growing a smaller plant means the nutrients will be absorbed faster by the soil…
… hence growing in a bigger pot means the nutrients may be unavailable for the plant to absorb.
This causes the leaves to turn yellow and droop, and the plant will shed those leaves…
Let us go over this guide, where we will tell you about the ideal size of the pots for your plants…
… and the issues that arise when you use the wrong size.
Does Pot Size Affect Plant Growth?
Yes, pot size is of great concern when it comes to the plant’s growth…
Nutrients present in the soil will be absorbed quickly by the plant when pot size is too small…
There will also be other problems, such as the roots being rooted with the pot…
… and the plant receiving fewer nutrients to survive.
A smaller pot has exhibited a difference in the amount of fruits and flowers…
Because fewer nutrients are absorbed, we have observed fewer fruits on a plant…
Fruits grew on the plants in some instances…
… but not to the same extent as the usual plants when grown in perfect condition.
As well, when the pot is larger than the required size…
… the plants will have difficulty absorbing nutrients from the soil.
But we have also observed that when the plants are grown in a larger pot…
… they tend to grow larger than expected.
It’s possible that the plant may begin to droop…
… resulting in the yellowing of the leaves and their falling off the plant.
Will Plants Grow Bigger In Bigger Pots?
There’s a yes and no in the answer to this question. I’ll explain why this scenario occurs…
It totally depends on the species of plant you choose to grow…
There are different species of plants, and each of them behaves differently in a particular situation…
It’s quite possible that the plant we are talking about is an indoor or outdoor plant…
It could very well be a vegetable as well…
Next we need to determine whether the plant we are talking about is succulent, medium, or tender…
This determines the water intake of the plant…
The larger the pot size, the more water is available in the pot…
which keeps the soil moist for a longer period of time. This can cause root rot…
Our plant grows accordingly, whether we expect it to grow big or not…
We expect that repotting in a bigger pot will result in the plant being more prominent…
… so if we get a vegetable, we expect greater growth.
Furthermore…
If we have a particular type of indoor foliage that grows slowly…
… putting it in a larger pot will only cause fungal/bacterial diseases and root rot problems.
Growth of a plant is naturally determined by its roots…
When the plant is kept in a pot, a plant’s roots will gradually start to develop…
The upper portion of the plant, which consists of the stems, flowers, and leaves…
… will take on growth once the root growth reaches the desired level.
We often find that the roots become pot bound when the plant is kept in a small pot size…
Thus…
The plant cannot grow and needs to be repotted into a bigger pot…
Root systems that are repotted to a larger pot develop in the larger pot and try to cover the soil…
All of the factors, including light, nutrients, soil, and water, need to be strong for the plant to grow better…
We see a plant grow bigger not because of repotting into a larger pot…
… but because when the roots have developed in a smaller pot, it will develop faster in a bigger pot.
Eventually, we will see the plant grow bigger in a bigger pot if the roots are well developed…
… and all the factors are provided accordingly.
Do Plants Grow Quickly In Large Pot Size?
No, plants do not grow faster in large pots…
Plants grow at the same rate when provided the right amount of nutrients, soil, water, and light…
As the plant initially attempts to become rootbound in a smaller pot size…
… it will continue to grow in the upper portion of the pot.
Roots need to be taken care of in large pots because they are the ones occupying the soil mass…
Most larger pots mean more water, and that will mean more root rot…
Plant roots must be cared for and untangled during repotting…
… when repotting from a smaller pot to a bigger pot.
During this process, if the roots are damaged, we might not see any growth at all…
Once repotted to a larger pot, we can also see the growth of roots in the new pot…
… as the plants use their energy in the growth of the roots.
In the bigger pot…
The roots will attempt to go rootbound and then take up the upper portion…
The plant will keep growing at the same speed as it did in the smaller pot size…
It is only by improving its care requirements that the plants can grow faster…
As long as all of the above is properly maintained…
… we can encourage the plant to grow bigger and not faster.
What Is The Ideal Pot Size For A Plant?
There is a method to choose the proper pot size for a plant, all pots come in a standard size…
We already discussed what happens when the pot size is too big for the plant…
The ideal method is to use a pot size with a diameter equal to or larger than the size of the plant…
Let’s say our plant is 7 inches, and we move it to a new pot that’s 4 gallons in size…
It’s too big for the plant…
We are like parents who bring shoes for their kids that are larger than the required size…
The plants are first potted in 1-gallon pots and then grown to a height of 1 foot…
… when we move them to 2-gallon pots.
Our standard practice is to always choose one size bigger…
… when we repot the plant once it reaches the height of 2 feet.
This way, the plant will grow as tall as it is able to grow and will not drop foliage…
Problems When Moved To A Bigger Pot
Rooting Problems
A common issue with plants that have been overwatered is root problems…
It’s not uncommon for this kind of issue to appear during the process of transplantation…
You might have caused damage to the roots, or the roots might not be untangled correctly…
Researchers have determined that plants grow about 43% larger in large pots…
Furthermore…
The pots with smaller drainage holes stated…
… that the roots determine the pot size, but not the water and nutrients.
As the soil retains more water, the roots are more likely to develop a root rot…
Stunted Growth
Another issue that arises with a bigger pot is slow growth…
In a larger pot, the plant will take longer to pull up the nutrients absorbed in the soil…
Lack of nutrients stunts the growth of the plant…
Underwatering or overwatering the plants also stunts the plants’ growth…
Repotted plants in larger pots are at high risk of being overwatered, which can result in stunted growth…
There is also the issue of the overwatering leading to root rot…
… and even if a root rot does not occur, there is a chance of the plant being infected by fungus or bacteria.
Stumped growth may also happen if bugs or insects infest the roots…
Overwatering Problems
Watering problems are the most common problem with repotting a plant into a larger pot…
To keep the soil moist, we have to use more water in a bigger pot…
As we tend to add excessive water to the roots in the growing stage, the roots tend to stay wet all the time…
With bigger pots, this is the primary reason for root rot…
Soil stays wet most of the time, which prevents the roots from drawing the appropriate amount of nutrients…
The roots of the plant are damaged, and growth is stunted…
That will cause the plant to turn yellow and the leaves to become droopy, along with the plant drooping…
Overwatering can also kill the roots and the plant. Therefore, try to avoid it altogether…
Pest Problems
The pests are attracted to the overwatered pot, and the roots of the plant are damaged…
A high probability of root rot increases the likelihood of a plant’s roots…
… attracting pests and harming the plant further.
How Do I Choose The Right Size Pot For My Plant?
Now we know what size pot to choose when choosing to repot the plant and why the perfect size is paramount…
For the right size of the pot, we need to ensure that the size of the pot is a step larger than the size of the plant…
For example, we will plant an 8-inch tall plant in a 1-gallon pot and allow it to grow until it reaches 1-foot height…
After the plant reaches a height of 1 foot, we repot the plant to a 2-gallon pot and so on…
Hence, we need to maintain a pot one size bigger…
This will ensure that the plant gets the right amount of water and nutrients from the soil…
Therefore, we need to make sure that the pot has drainage holes to remove excess water…
Plants should not be repotted during the growing season unless they require it…
To sum it up…
Now you know that the pot size of the plant will affect your plant’s growth…
Especially when planted in bigger pots…
… your plants may be infested with pests, stunted growth, or overwatered.
Just choose a pot that’s a step or two steps larger than the size of the plant…
That space is enough for your plants to develop well…
Conclusion
If you happen to still have any queries…
Comment down below or contact us personally!
Check out more posts in this website like this one here!
Have an awesome gardening journey!