Repotting a plant gives it space to grow

“Repotting a plant gives it space to grow. Repotting ourselves means taking leave of our everyday environments and walking into unfamiliar territory—of the heart, of the mind and of the spirit.”
Heather Cochran

After a full-on, hectic week at work, there’s nothing more therapeutic on a Saturday afternoon than relaxing with some chore or other in the garden. With the heavy rains of the past few days, I couldn’t get out so decided to tackle something under cover that needed my attention for awhile. It was time to repot my plants - a good two hours or so that was made doubly pleasurable as I engaged in conversation with my son from Sydney for the entire time.

You can recognise the signs of distress when a plant signals to be repotted: poor, lack-lustre flowering, stunted stems, dropping, drooping or wilting leaves, dried out soil, roots poking its way through the drain holes or matted roots that have become twisted in their confined space. Plants give these signals because they’re not able to draw enough nutrients and moisture from their current root situation. The root bound plant whose roots have clogged the whole pot because of lack of space, also does not allow for the plant to be watered. Therefore, to sustain its existence and ensure the plant a second life, it needs to be repotted.

This involves carefully prising the plant from the pot, dusting off the dirt, unravelling the root mass delicately, clipping away a fair chunk of the roots with sharp secateurs, separating the mother plant from the pups and nipping away any dried or dead stems or leaves. Then, the plant is introduced into a new pot, not much bigger than the old one, with fresh potting soil and it needs to be carefully nurtured until it is thriving again in its new environment.

This activity of repotting resonates with people too. When you realise that one inconsequential day morphs into another, you have stopped laughing, you don’t jump up out of bed as you used to embrace the promise of a new day or your dreams have been buried deeply by the daily grind of every day life, when you have nothing to look forward to in the next week, month or year, then perhaps you need to be repotted. You need to untangle the roots of your confined existence, you need to dust off the soil that have lost its zest for life and you need to move to a bigger space that will kickstart your regrowth.

Just as the new pot must be not much bigger than 2-4cm in diameter than the old pot, so too, the changes we make does not have to be drastic. Just simple ones like getting some painting supplies and rekindling your love of art, getting a music coach or picking up a new instrument, joining the local theatre group and once again stimulating your love of drama and acting, dusting off the sewing machine and starting a cottage industry, joining the rotary club and reviving your passion for public speaking and debating, venturing out of your town to do some travel or making some moves to explore your dream career.

Just as the plant whose life is being strangled away by its root bound, claustrophobic container, needs deliberate intervention to loosen its rootball, you too need to take deliberate steps to add some spark to your life. It is not just going to happen. You got to untangle the twisted roots, clip off the dead and yellowing stems, snip off the dried and decaying leaves... reinvigorate the mind, body and soul.

One of the great benefits of repotting is that you get to redesign your life instead of letting someone else do it for you. I am a serial “repotter” - having relocated from South Africa, to New Zealand to Australia, from making the transition from high school teacher to businesswoman to professional writer and to committing to a lifelong pursuit of learning whether it be travelling, gardening, art, communication or technology. Admittedly, change does come with its associated discomfort but like the plant that recovers from its trauma of being repotted and thrives in the freshly potted, nutrient-rich soil and buds its new blooms in wondrous beauty and delight, so too you will feel so rejuvenated and energised.

In the weeks ahead, I wish you growth as uncomfortable as it may be but with the promise of so much joy that will spark your soul.

Have a bloomingly, beautiful week, Folks.