Repotting
For this operation to run smoothly it is a good idea to grow your plants in pots of the same size.
![A flower pot inside a bigger flower pot](http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/image-files/xrepotting-01.jpg.pagespeed.ic.vdGqzmSW4Y.jpg)
Take an empty flower pot of the same size as the plants you are about to transplant and fill it with compost.
To the larger pot, add a layer of compost so that when the smaller pot is placed on the compost the rim of the smaller pot is slightly below the rim of the larger pot.
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![Cover the pot with compost Cover the pot with compost](http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/image-files/xrepotting-02.jpg.pagespeed.ic.i5bkIZA_4C.jpg)
Cover the whole thing in compost.
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![Firm the soil between the two pots. Firm the soil between the two pots.](http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/image-files/xrepotting-03.jpg.pagespeed.ic.zjwXLQHdll.jpg)
Firm the compost round the edge of the smaller pot using your fingers.
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![The compost is now level with the top of the small pot The compost is now level with the top of the small pot](http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/image-files/xrepotting-04.jpg.pagespeed.ic.TKqGgg_fAd.jpg)
You should now be in this situation.
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![Remove the inner pot. Remove the inner pot.](http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/image-files/xrepotting-05.jpg.pagespeed.ic.y6-_bAv5Jb.jpg)
Carefully remove the inner pot.
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![A pot sized hole remains. A pot sized hole remains.](http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/image-files/xrepotting-06.jpg.pagespeed.ic.8wJlHFoFE5.jpg)
You should now be left with a perfect hole in which to re-pot your plant.
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![Remove the plant to be transplanted from its pot. Remove the plant to be transplanted from its pot.](http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/image-files/xrepotting-10.jpg.pagespeed.ic.1KvRPHf1fU.jpg)
Remove the plant that requires repotting from its pot.
Hold the plant by its stem and lift it up a little. Tap the rim of the flower pot with a trowel and the pot should fall away easily.
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![Drop the plant in the hole. Drop the plant in the hole.](http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/image-files/repotting-07.jpg)
Pop the plant into its new container.
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![Push the plant firmly into place. Push the plant firmly into place.](http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/image-files/repotting-09.jpg)
Give it a little bit of a firm so that it is in good contact with the new compost.
Water it and you are done.
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The main advantage of this method of repotting is that it is much less fiddly than trying to get the compost down the edges of a growing plant. It avoids getting compost all over the plant. You are less likely to get stabbed repotting spiky things.
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