Re-potting a smelly plant

If it's a common house plant of the non-finicky variety, I don't think taking it out of it's stinking dirt and rinsing the whole thing (a good rinse over the whole thing might get both stinks off), and then replanting and watering well, would hurt it.

If it's a sensitive plant, it might not like it.

But what do you have to lose?
If it lives, problem solved. If it dies, well, no more stinky plant.

Get a new pot too.

I think you can add a smidge of bleach to the water you water it with. That much won't hurt the plant,, but will kill the mold that's causing the smell. How often do you water the thing?

And repot it in a ligher soil, with maybe a taddy bit of activated charcoal. Sounds like the soil was so dense, it couldn't ventilate.

Bleach won't kill the cat urine smell, I've tried on clothing that's been squirted on by the male cats I've had.

About the only thing to do is what your first instincts told you. Remove as much of the soil as possible without disturbing the roots too much, then repot in a new pot and fresh potting soil. No need to add extra fertilizer if it is a commercial potting mix, they have more than enough to get the plant off to a good start. Water it thoroughly, pinch back any new leaf growth to help it focus energy on re-establishing roots. Give it the recommended sunny environment and future waterings between periods of dryness. Most plants are killed from overwatering.

This method also helps with plants that have been overwatered to the point that they have a sour smell from root rot.

This above advice will also give you a chance to actually look at the roots - you may have to trim some if they're all scungy.

Well, I dont KNOW if the smell is cat urine. But from my experience , it doesnt smell like it at all.. I just am not passing on the idea that it could be.


So how would I know if the roots are healthy?

Just simple white and strong?


Lemme go take a picture of the plant.. Just in case it is some touchy thing..

Look at the roots with the same eye you'd look at carrots you're preparing for dinner. If they're soft or a bit slimy, trim off those portions before repotting.

Is it possible to trim too much and kill it?

I mean, I wont trim them with in an inch of their lives, but is there a safe limit in the event that they are soft all around?

( Im working on posting the picture. Everytime I try I get a phbb critical error.. (sigh) )

Use your best judgement as to what a "trim" would be compared to a shorter style of hair cut. It is difficult to give specific advice because the size and health of the plant, the size and health of the rootball are variables.

Here it is up close..

Also, if it is a plant you are really keen on surviving (or want more of), take out a bit of insurance by making some strategic cuttings of the leaves to root in water and transplant as the next generation of that plant.

That way you'll still have links to your aunt's plant should the original one be too far gone to save. If the original thrives, you'll have a second one to add to the family.

and here it is not so close.

You can see that it is even yellowing a bit.
This I dont understand, but maybe cleaning the dirt out will help.

Besides that, it has been inside for a month now because it is too cold to be in the window , or outside for the occasional "sun bath" So lack of light has a bit to do with it I believe.. ( the looks, not the smell )

I have no idea what the plant is........ Could we get another picture? To see the whole plant?

Are there a bunch of stems/branches? I'd cut 1/3 of the branches away and trim the rest back to the second set of leaves. If you want to trim it WAY back.

Good point about clippings..

I will do that anyway.

If it were not such a pain in the butt, I would just cut it ALL and do that.. throwing out the base..

I don't immediately remember the name of that plant, but it is a common houseplant and should thrive with a repotting. It looks like it is starving to death and the nutrients in the fresh planting mix will give it a real boost.

That plant is also easy to propagate by rooting cuttings.

Yellow leaves are distress signals. It could mean too little sun, too much water, too much sun, too little water......

I can see the plant better now - I'd cut all the stems back as short as you want and I'd move it closer to a window. Resist the tendency to water too often.

Is it a swedish ivy? djjd would know; my mother has them. They'll take a fair amount of abuse I think but, yeah, it looks like they're missing the sun. New plants should grow from cuttings easily.

Isn't that creeping charlie? I'm not a houseplant person, yet, though I may become one here in the southwest, but it rather looks like it. I think when I had one of those I didn't know about latin names. If it is C. Charlie, it's hard to kill.