---
title: "Repotting Reminder for Houseplants | Sunny Sill"
description: "Log when each houseplant was last repotted and see when the next repotting is due by growth rate, timed for spring, with calendar (.ics) reminders."
url: https://sunnysill.homes/repotting-reminder/
---

# Repotting reminder

Note when each plant last went into a new pot. You get the next repotting date for its growth rate, moved into spring when roots grow fastest, and reminders for your calendar.

## Your repotting plan

These are **example plants**. Add your own and the examples make way, or .

- ### Monstera Living room
  Later **Plan for 1 Mar 2027** (start of the growing season; by growth rate it falls due 30 Nov 2026)
  Last repotted 30 May 2025 (17 months ago). Medium grower: repot every one to two years, so between May 2026 and May 2027.
  Next pot about 26–29 cm across. [Work out the potting mix](https://sunnysill.homes/pot-size-calculator/).
- ### Golden pothos Bookshelf
  Later **Plan for 30 Mar 2027**
  Last repotted 30 Mar 2026 (7 months ago). Fast grower: repot about once a year, so between Mar 2027 and Sep 2027.
  Next pot about 16–19 cm across. [Work out the potting mix](https://sunnysill.homes/pot-size-calculator/).
- ### Snake plant Hallway
  Later **Plan for 1 Mar 2028** (start of the growing season; by growth rate it falls due 29 Feb 2028)
  Last repotted 30 Aug 2025 (14 months ago). Slow grower: repot every two to three years, so between Aug 2027 and Aug 2028.
  Next pot about 21–24 cm across. [Work out the potting mix](https://sunnysill.homes/pot-size-calculator/).

## How the repotting reminder works

1. Choose the plant and add a nickname if you have more than one. Its usual growth rate is filled in; change it if yours is a young plant racing ahead or an old one that barely grows.
2. Enter the date it was last repotted. If you don't know, tick the box and the plan asks you to check the roots now.
3. Add the pot's width to see the next pot size, 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) wider.

**Growth rate.** Clemson University's Home & Garden Information Center says fast-growing plants may need repotting every year and slow growers every two to three years. The reminder uses 12 months for fast growers, 18 for medium and 30 for slow ones, and shows the window either side.

**Spring or summer.** Clemson advises repotting only while the plant is actively growing, starting when new spring growth begins. With the box ticked, dates that fall in autumn or winter move to 1 March (northern hemisphere) or 1 September (southern hemisphere). Overdue plants are planned for now, or for the next spring.

**Calendar file.** Each plant becomes an all-day event with a 9:00 alert. Treat it as a reminder to look, not an order: a plant whose roots still have room can wait.

### Worked example

A monstera, a medium grower, last repotted on 15 April 2025, falls due 18 months later, on 15 October 2026. That is autumn in the northern hemisphere, so the reminder plans it for 1 March 2027, with a 24 cm pot moving up to 26–29 cm.

## Signs a plant needs a bigger pot

- Roots grow out of the drainage hole, or circle the inside of the pot in a solid mat when you slide the plant out.
- The pot dries out within a day or two of a thorough watering, or the plant wilts soon after being watered.
- Water runs straight through without soaking in, or the plant is so top-heavy that it tips over.

Too big to repot? Clemson suggests scraping off the top 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) of mix and replacing it with fresh mix every other year or so. After repotting, water well so the excess drains out of the pot.

## Sources

- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, [Indoor Plants: Transplanting & Repotting (HGIC 1458)](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/indoor-plants-transplanting-repotting/): how often to repot fast and slow growers, repotting in spring and summer, signs a plant is pot-bound, a pot 1 or 2 in wider, top-dressing large plants.
- NC State Extension, [Gardener Plant Toolbox](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/), and Mississippi State University Extension, [Care & Selection of Indoor Plants (P1012)](https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/care-selection-indoor-plants): the growth rates of the plants in our list.

## Questions

**How often should houseplants be repotted?**

It depends on how fast they grow. Fast growers such as pothos and spider plants may need a bigger pot every year, while slow growers such as snake plants, ZZ plants and cacti can stay put for two or three years. Let the roots decide: repot when they fill the pot, not because a date arrived.

**What is the best time of year to repot?**

Spring and early summer, when new growth starts and roots quickly grow into the fresh mix. Repotting in winter is possible in an emergency, such as root rot or a broken pot, but the plant is slow to settle.

**Should I water right after repotting?**

Yes, water well so the mix settles around the roots and the excess drains from the pot. Then wait until the top of the mix dries before watering again: fresh mix in a bigger pot holds more water than the old one did.

**Can I repot into the same pot?**

Yes, if you want to keep the plant the same size. Tease out the old mix, trim the longest roots a little, and put it back with fresh mix. Plants too big to move can have the top few centimetres of mix replaced instead.

**Where is my list saved?**

Only in this browser's local storage, on this device. Nothing is uploaded. Download the .ics file or copy the plan as text to keep a copy elsewhere, and use Clear all to remove the list.