Maintaining a container garden has many advantages.
You can easily change its landscape, arrangements, plant composition and even pest control.
However, since the plant is surrounded by limited soil (as compared to those planted on the ground), you need to regularly fertilize the soil, frequently water the plant and occasionally change the soil as needed.
It is necessary to avoid malnutrition to the plant as the soil will run out of nutrient after a few years.
This article will discuss on the signs that the plant will likely show to tell you that it is time to change the soil.
After two or three years, it is time to change the soil of your potted plant.
The process may also be referred to as potting and repotting.
It may not necessarily involve changing from smaller pot to a larger pot, but it will surely involve removing the used soil with a new one.
Changing pot (and soil) is needed when the plant seems big enough to break the pot.
But if there are merely signs of malnutrition, all you need to do is change the soil.
You can tell this by evaluating the plant and the soil.
If the leaves start to turn yellow or the new leaves are smaller in size, these are some of the indication that the soil has insufficient nutrients than needed.
Roots that appear on the surface of the soil and algae around the tree tell you that it is time for repotting.
You can also turn the pot upside-down so that you can see if there are roots growing through the drain hole.
When you get the plant out of the pot, examine the root.
Healthy root should be fair in color, so if you find that the root is dark and dry, your plant seriously need new soil to grow.
Roots that are packed in small pot will not be able to absorb nutrient efficiently.
Trim about one third of the bottom root before repotting.
Always note if there are root that grows in circle.
This kind of root needs to be removed, as there is fair chance that it will strangle itself after some time when it grows.
You can also look for the signs in the soil.
If the soil is hardened and it took a long time to drain the water, it is time to change the soil.
Without proper drainage, a plant could be 'suffocated' - not too much and not too less of water.