How To Repot English Ivy? (A Step-by-Step Guide)

English ivy is a beautiful vining plant with unique leaves that beautifies living and outdoor spaces. If your English ivy is growing in pots, you might want to know if it needs repotting and how to repot it. Let’s find out.

Use the following steps to repot your English ivy:

1. Get a new pot no more than 2 inches larger than the existing pot.
2. Prepare a fresh potting mix that is light and well-draining.
3. Fill the new pot halfway with the fresh potting mix.
4. Now, take the English ivy gently out of its pot by holding the pot upside down.
5. Loosen the roots and place the plant at the center of the pot.
6. Add soil from all sides and tap the pot gently to help the soil settle down.
7. Water the English Ivy after repotting.

Repotting an English Ivy is not a complicated process, but you need to be careful so you don’t damage the roots. Keep reading this guide to know how to repot English ivy.

When should I repot my English ivy?

Repot your English ivy when it is most active.

English ivy thrives during the summer and spring seasons.

Therefore, consider repotting your English Ivy during these seasons when it is most active and can easily recover from the repotting stress.

All plants go through some stress during and after repotting.

The plants get used to growing in a particular environment.

When that environment changes because of repotting, the plant gets stressed.

It takes time to adjust to a new environment.

But if you repot it during winter, the stress increases as the plant slows down its growth in winter.

Unfavorable conditions like low light and low temperatures can extend the stress.

This will negatively affect your English ivy and might take a long time to recover.

Therefore, avoid repotting your English ivy in winter and do it only during the spring or summer.

Also, never repot plants at night.

Consider repotting during the daytime as the conditions remain more favorable during the day.

How often to repot English ivy?

Repot your young English ivy once every year, and for a mature English ivy, you can repot it once in 2-3 years.

You should not repot your English ivy too often but only when you notice signs of rootbound or situations like root rot.

Signs your English ivy needs repotting

Here are the signs you should look out for before considering to repot your English ivy:

Stunted growth

The first thing you will notice is that your English ivy is not growing as fast as it should.

This happens if your English ivy is rootbound or experiencing underlying problems like root rot.

If your English ivy stops growing, inspect the plant to find the underlying issue.

Compact soil

Compact soil signifies that you have not watered your English ivy properly.

Or, you have not repotted your English ivy for too long.

If the latter is the issue, it is time to repot your English ivy.

Roots showing up on the surface

If your English ivy is root-bound, one of the signs you will see is that the roots will show up on the soil surface.

The roots of a root-bound plant don’t have enough space for growth, so they start emerging out of the soil in search of space.

Roots coming out of drainage holes

Another sign of a root-bound plant is that its roots come out of the pot’s drainage holes.

The roots grow too big or long for the pot and find an opening through the drainage holes.

Dehydration

If your English ivy is getting dehydrated, it can be a sign that the plant is root-bound.

When you have a root-bound English ivy, the roots will start circling inside the pot and will not have enough space to function.

Due to this, they will fail to carry water and nutrients to all parts of the plant, and the plant will get dehydrated frequently.

What kind of soil does English ivy need?

Before you repot your English ivy, you must learn what soil works best for it.

If it is your first time repotting your English ivy after bringing it home, you might not know much about its soil preference.

Don’t worry. I am here to help.

English ivy prefers slightly drier soil, so loamy and well-drained soil will work best.

Here’s a soil recipe for your English ivy:

• 1 part soil
• 1 part cocopeat (For moisture retention)
• 1 part sand (For drainage)
• 1 part compost
• A handful of charcoal

Mix all the ingredients well and use it while repotting your English ivy.

Best pots for ivy plants

Besides the soil, you also need to get the right pot for repotting your English ivy.

Here are the most important things to remember:

• Don’t get a pot that is too small or big. Get one that is 2 inches bigger than the existing one. A small pot will make the plant root-bound again, and a big pot will increase the chances of overwatering.
• Always get a pot with drainage holes. If the pot doesn’t have any, drill some drainage holes before putting the plant inside the pot. Without drainage holes, the excess soil will remain stuck in the soil, leading to overwatering, pests, fungal diseases, etc.

You can get any material but take care of your English ivy based on that.

For example, an English ivy growing in a terracotta pot will need more water than one growing in a plastic pot.

How do you repot English ivy houseplants?

Let’s understand the step-by-step process of repotting an English ivy plant.

Supplies needed:

• New pot
• Fresh potting mix
• Disinfectant
• Pruner
• Watering can

How to Re-Pot Ivy | the houseplant diaries

1. Prepare your supplies

Before you start repotting your English ivy, you must get the supplies, so you don’t have to look around to search for them while repotting.

Get a new pot and drill some drainage holes if it doesn’t have them.

Prepare the potting mix that you will use for repotting.

Add the potting mix to the pot and fill it halfway.

2. Take your English ivy out of its pot

Once you arrange the supplies, it is time to take the English ivy out of the pot.

Consider watering the plant a night before repotting it.

This will help the plant come out of the pot easily.

Hold the pot upside down and gently pull the ivy out of it.

If the plant doesn’t come out easily, tap the pot on the sides to loosen the soil.

Or run a knife along the pot’s edges to loosen the soil.

3. Inspect the roots and the entire plant

After taking your English ivy out of its pot, inspect its roots.

If you have root-bound ivy, you need to untangle the roots.

If your English ivy has root rot, you must eliminate brown and mushy roots.

Along with the roots, also check the other parts of the plant.

Remove all the yellow, brown, and leggy parts of the ivy.

Always prune with a sharp pruner so you can make clean cuts.

And don’t forget to disinfect the pruner before and after use with a disinfectant so germs can’t spread.

4. Repot the plant

Place the English ivy at the center of the pot and add the potting mix from all sides.

Tap the pot to help the soil settle.

Be careful during this process, as you do not want to damage the roots.

5. Aftercare

Once you have repotted your English ivy, water the plant with a watering can.

Place the plant in a bright spot with sufficient indirect light.

Provide the correct temperatures, humidity levels, appropriate soil, and proper feeding so the plant can thrive.

How to take care of the newly potted English ivy?

After repotting your ivy, you must provide proper care to the plant so it can recover the repotting stress fast.

Here are the basic requirements of an English ivy plant.

Factor	Requirement
Light	Provide bright and indirect sunlight to your English ivy. Don’t expose it to direct sunlight.
Water	Water your English ivy after the top inch of the soil dries out.
Soil	Use light, loamy, and well-draining soil for the ivy.
Fertilizer	Feed the English ivy with a liquid fertilizer with an NPK 20:20:20.
Temperature	Try to provide optimum temperatures between 70-90°F.
Humidity	English ivy plants need at least 40-50% humidity levels. Use a humidifier and mist the plant.

Final thoughts

English ivy is a beautiful climbing plant that requires repotting once in 2-3 years. Don’t repot it too often as that will stress the plant. Repot it when it goes rootbound or gets affected by any disease.

Repot with care, and don’t damage the roots or other parts. You can use a moss pole to support the plant if it grows too bushy or big. Water the plant a night before you repot it. Water it and provide the ideal conditions after repotting it.

Consider repotting your English ivy during the spring and summer. Avoid repotting in winter as that can shock the plant and make the repotting recovery harder.

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Reference: Researchgate, University of Tennessee, Mississippi State University, Central Florida Research and Education Center, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.