Most plants will need to be repotted at some point during their lives – this is a sign that they are growing and doing well! You probably won’t need to look up how to repot ficus audrey as soon as you would other plants, however. Read on, for our best tips on how to repot this beauty!
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How To Repot Ficus Audrey
Your ficus audrey will not need a lot of fuss and maintenance; in fact years may go by before you decide it needs a new pot!
Repotting ficus audrey, although it is a large plant, really shouldn’t take too much effort:
- Lay down a large sheet on the floor, and put on gardening gloves – the sap is bot sticky and toxic, and it is best to not get it on your hands.
- Take a pot that is about 2 inches wider than the previous one, and half fill it with well draining compost.
- Squeeze the sides of the original pot until your ficus audrey starts to loosen, then gently slide it out of the pot.
- Now is a good time to check the root ball – check that the roots are healthy and strong, and you can gently untangle any that have got enmeshed together.
- Keep an eye out for pests and creepy crawlies as you dop this – it is important to remove any critters or bugs that might damage the health of your plant.
- Place the ficus audrey into its new pot, and cover the roots ball with more soil until they are completely covered.
- Give it a good watering, and add more soil if necessary as the water will compact the soil.
- You can choose to add a little fertilizer at this point, to give your ficus a nice boost of nutrients to help it grow strong.
- Place it in a spot that is warm and humid, that receives plenty of morning sunlight, and is free from draughts.
This repotting will not need to happen often, so make sure you get it right so that your ficus audrey can continue living happily until the next time repotting rolls around!
For those who like visual instructions, here’s a good video on how to repot your ficus audrey as well as do a bit of root maintenance:
What Kind Of Soil Does Audrey Ficus Like?
This plant is not desperately fussy about its soil, but it does have one or two definite likes and dislikes:
- Soil must be free and well draining. No plant likes to sit in standing water, and ficus audrey is no exception!
- Cactus soil with added perlite is one of the best options – this is light, airy soil that allows excess moisture to drain away.
- Fertile soil is important. These are not especially “hungry” plants, but they do like nutrients in their soil. Standard garden soil probably won’t cut it!
- Not too acidic. Ficus audrey likes a soil pH of around 6-7; closer to the acidic side and it will not thrive.
- Avoid excessively well draining soils. Although ficus audrey likes its soil to be light, it does also like a little moisture around the roots.
Ficus audrey is one of the less fussy ficuses – it will grow in just about any medium, but you will notice a marked improvement if you follow the guidance above.
Here is a useful article all about soil, and the best type to use for your ficus audrey. And you can also read my guide to pruning and shaping your plant.
When Should I Repot My Ficus?
Your ficus audrey, unlike some other plants that grow very quickly, will not need repotting very often.
This plant does grow well, but as long as you keep on top of your pruning regime it will not take over your home!
Ficus audrey like to be kept snug in their pots, and generally won’t need repotting until you start to see roots growing out of the drainage holes.
However, over time the quality of the soil can start to degrade, and nutrients can be washed away by watering.
You can remedy this, of course, by adding fertilizer – but you can also give your plant a lovely boost by giving it a lovely new pot!
Ficus audrey should be repotted in the springtime, before the main growth season and after the plant has come out of its winter “sleep”.
Choose a warm day, so the plant will have some of its favorite conditions to help it get over the shock of repotting.
Most ficus are indoor plants, so the outdoor conditions won’t affect them too much – but it is still best to do your repotting once the warmth of spring is underway.
Do Ficus Like Big Pots?
Although this tree can get to staggering sizes in the wild – they can reach 100 feet tall, and spread out sideways even further – they won’t need a massive pot for growing indoors.
- Your pot obviously needs to be big enough to support the root ball, and large enough to balance out the foliage.
- These plants do best when they are slightly root bound, so don’t make the mistake of thinking you need an enormous container for them!
- If you are repotting, the new pot should be larger than the old one, but not by much – just enough to ensure that the plant can continue its growth.
- Make sure that you do not plant your ficus audrey in a pot that is much larger than the root ball, as this can actually stunt its growth.
- Don’t go for a pot that is too shallow, as this can cause the plant to overbalance and topple over, although it will like its roots to be snug!
It doesn’t seem to make sense that you should plant such a big tree in a small pot – but as they like to spread out from the canopy rather than the roots, a smaller pot is ideal.
They say that when you know better, you can do better. Now you know the better way to repot ficus audrey, you can do the best for this lovely plant.
You will be relieved, especially if your ficus is one of the larger ones, that you don’t actually have to repot it too often. That’s one less job to do!
Should I only repot in the spring?
It is always best to repot a plant at the beginning of the growing season, as this is when the plant can put forward its best growth – however, if an emergency repot is required at another time of the year then it just has to be done!
How do you know it’s an emergency to repot? I have long roots growing out of the drainage holes, but it’s almost September. Should I wait until Spring to repot or just go for it?