Repotting large plants

[Ali Baba]

A few years ago I bought a grapefruit sized Echinocactus grusonii from IKEA for 50p (couldn't resist at that price, not my normal source of plants [emoji3]). It is now the size of a large football and needs to go up a pot size or two. It weighs a ton so I would like some tips on how to successfully repot it without damaging either the plant or myself. I suspect the spines will easily penetrate my leather gardening gloves...


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[Brian]

What a good post. Hmmmm grusonii - that sounds tricky, well done turning a grapefruit into a football! I have absolutely no idea and look forward to some experienced replies. I have a large plant or two requiring a repot. For starters it is surely necessary to have two people ( not the husband / wife - bad for domestic harmony).

[Alexander]

If it's in a plastic pot I'd probably cut the pot away and just handle the plant by its root ball/base.

[DaveW]

I usually repot the large ones on their sides. Gloves are pretty useless, particularly with Opuntia's as they soon get permanently embedded with glochids that penetrate right through them. Folded newspaper or polystyrene is best for gripping them since you can throw it in the bin afterwards complete with any embedded spines or glochids.

To repot a grusonii see:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RuEDsHFbDk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDUTf6w4Osg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPZl4eZtbOs

With smaller cacti folded newspaper is better than gloves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i9VDz_Q83k

I would not water straight away though in the UK as in the link above but leave it at least a week for the roots to heal.

[Ali Baba]

The aforesaid football!
Thanks for the advice so far...

[Alexander]

Very beautiful! (Though I don't envy you for having to repot it.)

[Geoff Lovell]

At least two people, or more.
Wrap the plant in towels or towelling, gently winding the fabric round and round thus making it easy to handle!

[Peter]

Dead easy. Done this lots of times, yet to lose a spine. Simply tip the plant (dry compost) out of it's pot, on it's side onto an old blanket folded several times. Using the old pot as a gauge, put the correct amount of compost in the base of the new pot then lift the blanket and slide the plant into the new pot. Then fill the space around the plant with new compost. I've never actually needed assistance from anyone else and that included potting on monster Fero's.

[Liz M]

I have an ancient Ferocactus, that was desperately in need of re-potting and have been putting it off for the last year or so. We had a branch gathering at my house this afternoon and I announced that we were going to re-pot it. It provided a useful spectacle for the less experienced there. In the end we had one person holding the plant, wrapped in bubble wrap, another pulling on the pot, whilst a third person(me) dug away in the pot to free the plant up. It was in a clay pot, which meant the plant roots had attached themselves to the inside (this often happens with clay pots). After a short period of digging, gentle tugging and determination the plant eased out of the pot(placed on its side). Re-potting was a relatively simple task, into a plastic pot, with the aid of large tweezers and trowels, to support the plant and another trowel to top up the compost. Little damage was done to either persons, plant or the pot. I am hoping after a week or so, I will be able to water it a little and that it will continue to grow and thrive. I am also hoping I don't have to re-pot it again, too soon.

[Ali Baba]

Excellent advice and some great tips, thanks all. I'm almost looking forward to repotting it [emoji3]


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