How to Repot a Bird of Paradise

The bird of paradise is a unique flower that looks like a bright-colored bird in flight and is native to South Africa. The flower prefers full sun and moderate humidity. If it is growing outdoors, it needs to come inside once the temperature is lower than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Birds of paradise grow from a rhizome that can be divided and repotted to grow more flowers. They can be grown from seed but can take up to 10 years to flower when grown this way.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Sterile pot
• Pebbles
• Commercial potting soil

1. Let your bird of paradise flower go dormant before deciding to repot it. Repotting a bird of paradise too often can disturb the roots and prevent the flower from blooming for as many as three years. Root-bound birds of paradise perform well when crowded, so there is no need to be concerned about them.

2. Remove your bird of paradise gently from the pot. Separate the roots gently from each division. If dividing, carefully cut between sections with a clean, sharp knife.

3. Cut off any roots that have been damaged in the removal or dividing process.

4. Clean the new pot thoroughly with hot water. Because birds of paradise perform best when root-bound, select a pot that is as small as possible for your purposes.

5. Place the pebbles in the bottom of the pot to aid drainage. Shovel 2 inches of potting soil into the base of the pot. The soil should be loose, not packed. Place the bird of paradise gently into the pot. Hold the plant upright as you fill the pot the rest of the way. Make sure the roots are submerged and the plant is able to stand upright on its own. Press the soil, but don’t pack it down hard.

6. Water the plants two or three days after repotting. The cuts in the rhizomes need time to heal over before they can absorb water, so be sure to wait a couple of days.