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Can you repot Monstera in winter? The answer is…it depends, so keep reading and I will elaborate a bit on this topic so that you can make sure you’re doing the right thing for your plant! There are some misconceptions about timing of repotting, so I will elaborate on these important topics.
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REPOTTING MONSTERA IN WINTER
Can you repot Monstera in winter?
Yes and no. It depends on your conditions. If you live in an area of the world where your plant is actively growing year round, you can repot whenever you need to.
Or, if you live in a less than ideal climate (like I do, with short, dark, winter days), but you have your plant growing under grow lights year round, your plant has no idea it’s wintertime, so go ahead and repot!
What are the best times of year to repot your Monstera?
In general, late Winter through Spring and Summer are great times to repot your Monstera. This is because your plant should be actively growing. (Now if you have you plant in a dark corner, and it’s not growing when it should be, you need to move your plant out of there and into a brighter location!)
If you’re repotting during these periods of active growth, your plant’s root system will become better established before wintertime.
When SHOULDN’T you repot your Monstera?
Unless it’s a repotting emergency, you should avoid repotting your Monstera when your plant is not actively growing and for many of us, that is during wintertime.
All of our growing conditions are different, but for many of us, Winter is typically a bad time to repot because:
- Less light will reduce plant growth (unless you’re using a grow light)
- Cooler temperatures reduce plant growth
What are the dangers of repotting your Monstera in Winter?
Unless you have grow lights or live in an area of the world where you still get nice, long days in the Winter time, repotting during Winter (or under low light conditions if you have your plant shoved into a dark corner)…can result in the following:
Your potting mix can take much too long to dry out, because your plant is simply not using enough water during non-ideal growth conditions. This can be particularly dangerous if:
- You moved your plant into a pot much too big (excess soil volume)
- Temperatures are cooler
- Light is reduced
- Your pot has no drainage hole
- The potting mix you used is not suitable for Monstera plants
Now, if you really need to desperately repot (if your plant is horribly root bound and you can’t keep up with watering and your plant is suffering), then go ahead and repot in the Winter.
So if you need to repot during a non-ideal time, try and do the following if you can:
- If your plant is far from a window, move your plant in front of a window, even windows that have some sun. These plants can take it indoors! If you don’t have any good windows, add a grow light.
- Only go ONE pot size bigger. For example, if your Monstera is in a 6 inch diameter pot, only go up to an 8″ diameter pot. This will give some growing room, but not too much room that your potting mix will take forever to dry out.
- Use a well-draining potting mix. Check out my Monstera repotting and care guide for more details.
If you’re looking for an amazing potting mix that you can use straight out of the bag for your Monstera, check out the Tropical Climber Soil Blend from Oh Happy Plants. This is an amazing mix and you will get 10% off at checkout automatically if you use my link.
Winter care can be tricky for houseplants AND people if you live in areas with cold temps and short days during the Winter.
For more detailed tips, check out my post on caring for houseplants during Winter.
Hopefully by now, you are well-equipped to understand if you can repot your Monstera during Winter. All of our conditions are different, so we each have a unique case and need to decide the right course of action for ourselves.