So, I think this Kalanchoe needs repotting.

The pot on the left of it looks like it could be a bit too small, but the pot on the right looks like it might be a bit too big.

Which one should I put it into?

Thanks.

RPK82 said:So, I think this Kalanchoe needs repotting.

The pot on the left of it looks like it could be a bit too small, but the pot on the right looks like it might be a bit too big.

Which one should I put it into?

Thanks.

Whatever slightly bigger works. Mine bloomed in its second pot(not the original one)
Id guess the one on the right.

Very nice specimen!

If this was my plant, I would not increase the pot size unless the new pot was unglazed clay - because of the breathe-ability of the clay. I wouldn't hesitate to use the clay pot behind it. Kals don't make large roots that need a lot of space, but if the pot is clay, the soil won't stay soggy and airless.

You could sit the existing pot into the pretty decorative pot to the left and call it finished. Might need a couple of inches of rise by putting an object underneath the inner pot so part of the plant isn't below the rim of the outer pot.

Incidentally, the entry for this species would be improved with the addition of a pic of your plant.
Bushveld Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe sexangularis)

purpleinopp said:Incidentally, the entry for this species would be improved with the addition of a pic of your plant.
Bushveld Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe sexangularis)

Not that one
this one
Long-Flower Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe longiflora)
And mine do just fine in plastic.
Kinda ironic that you yourself have a photo there

Yes, I think you're right about the ID. I thought I remembered uploading pics of my plant.

Purple, I love you, and having a kalanchoe in terra-cotta makes a ton of sense, but I'm going to disagree because RPK has done a wonderful job to date in a plastic pot, and moving to terra-cotta is going to change too much, and everything that worked well in plastic is out the window.

Where is the plant going to be? If it can go outside for the summer, where you can gradually adjust it to full sun over the next 4 weeks, go big pot for sure. If it will stay inside, gradual step up is better, err on the side of caution and go small pot.

purple, I have used clay pots in the past but they go mouldy on the outside.

For several years now I've used plastic pots and while I've experienced root rot around 4 or 5 times, most of my plants do okay.

I use a what I think should be well draining soil, it's a commercial cactus and succulent mix and I add quite a lot of coco husk to it.

Recently I've been having to water it a lot more often, so I'm sure it needs to be potted up.

Turbo, the plant will be on the sunniest windowsill, I can't put it outside as right outside my house is a sidewalk, there is no garden, plus it would probably get infested with bugs as my plants can get infested with bugs just from having the window open.

So I was about to repot it into the smaller pot, I sat down and put the root ball into the smaller pot, but then discovered that the smaller pot wasn't tall enough to have any soil under the root ball, which would mean the roots would only be able to grow out sideways but not down, which means it would have even less space than I thought it would do in the smaller pot. Plus the majority of the roots seem to be in the bottom quarter of the root ball. So I have ended up putting the plant into the bigger pot.

I'll just have to be careful when I water it and try and make sure I don't put too much in.

Worthy point, Paula. ; )

Best luck, Ross!

Thanks.

How is your Kal doing, Ross?

It seems to be doing great, there are two new shoots growing from the bottom.

When watering it carefully, it was needing to be watered quite often, which I guess means it wasn't being watered enough and so it should be safe for me to give it a proper watering whenever it needs watering. So now whenever I water it I give it a lot more water.

That looks super! I love a happy update!! : + )

Im sorry I didn't say this in my first post-

for future searchers, when picking a new pot- you get this extra layer of new substrate around your roots- and its probably a different substrate than the last- so it completely changes the moisture profile- before the roots grow- its just dirt- and nothing but top drying happens because there arent roots yet to bring the moisture up into the leaves, then out into the environment- so the edges go from dry to soggy if you arent careful about selecting size

most potted indoor plants with have a root ball that's got some rot at the center and roots that dry out at the edges and your plant lives best from the middle ground. You always want to plan for the mid-to-exterior ground- not too wet or dry even if you're a little off on watering. if conditions don't change (keep it inside) step up in VERY small incraments. if its summer and the plant will go outside, you can go bigger becasue you'll have more air circulation, greater temp and humidity swings and tons of new growth with more sun, so a little bit larger pot makes sense.

Unless its (i.e. tomato) supposed to go from seedling to a meter and a half in 60 days- you almost never want to put a small plant in a big pot.