Step by Step: Repotting My Pink Princess🪴🎀✨
My newest plant baby - a Pink Princess Philodendron 👑 💖 She came in a set up that I honestly wasn’t a fan of: just plain potting soil, sitting over a water catcher with a wick string to ‘self water’. Not cute, super flimsy, and honestly a recipe for pests…. & sure enough, I spotted one. 🪲 😬
So it was time for a fresh start. I scrubbed and reused the same pot, then gave her what she really needs: a chunky airy mix (equal parts orchid bark, perlite, & Happy Frog potting soil). This keeps roots, healthy prevents rot, and helps her thrive long-term.
Now she’s back in her pot, pest free, & ready to grow in her forever spot. 🪴✨
STEP BY STEP ⬇️
1️⃣ Soil Prep – Orchid bark, perlite, and Happy Frog potting soil (equal parts) You can add to that and use any brand you’d like!
2️⃣ Mix It Up - Be sure to mix everything well so it’s airy and balanced. ⚖️
3️⃣ Loosening The Roots - Gently squeeze the pot a few times to looses up the soil to free her without stress.
If it’s too hard, don’t be afraid to cut the pot with scissors and gently loosen up the soil.
4️⃣ Rinse Time - Once she’s out of the pot, gently rinse off as much of the old soil as possible. Clean Roots = Fresh Start!
If using the same pot, be sure to scrub and clean the pot with soap and water, then spray hydrogen peroxide to prevent bacteria spread.
5️⃣ Repot - Add a thin layer of the fresh chunky soil mix to the bottom of the pot. Then place plant and pole, that is tied together, inside the pot. Fill the rest of pot with soil mix. Pack down gently and you’re all done! ✅
6️⃣ Water - Now that she’s all settled in, I like to bottom water her so she only drinks what she wants and prevents gnats from coming. Then place her in her permanent spot with the right lighting & humidity.
Now I can confidently watch her grow and thrive! ✨ 🥰
❓What’s your go-to chunky soil mix for your Pink Princess?
Repotting a Pink Princess Philodendron is not just about transferring the plant to a new pot—it's about creating an optimal environment for it to flourish. Using a chunky soil mix, which includes equal parts of orchid bark, perlite, and nutrient-rich potting soil like Happy Frog, is essential for good aeration and drainage. This mixture helps prevent root rot by allowing excess water to drain while providing enough moisture retention for healthy root development. When preparing to repot, it's important to handle the roots with care. Gently squeezing the nursery pot or cutting it if necessary allows you to loosen the root ball without damaging the delicate roots. Rinsing off old soil from the roots ensures that any pests or old soil-borne diseases are removed, offering your Pink Princess a fresh start. Cleaning the pot thoroughly between uses by scrubbing with soap and water and treating with hydrogen peroxide is a smart move to prevent the spread of bacteria and fungi, which can harm your plant. After repotting, bottom watering is an effective technique that enables the plant to absorb the right amount of water from the soil while reducing the chances of gnats, which are attracted to overwatered topsoil. Placing your Pink Princess in an area with bright, indirect light and maintaining appropriate humidity levels will encourage vibrant leaf color and overall growth. By following these repotting steps and maintaining a well-balanced, airy soil mix, you create an ideal growing environment that helps your Pink Princess Philodendron flourish over time. Many plant lovers recommend experimenting with your own chunky soil variations to suit your local climate and watering habits, but the key is always ensuring balance to support root health and plant vitality.
I pot my pink princess and all my philodendrons in a really chunky mix of 40% organic potting soil 20% orchid bark (not mix just bark) 15% perlite or pumice (or a mix of the two) 10% coco chips 10% cactus and palm soil 5% horticultural charcoal