I've got an umbrella tree (Schefflera) that needs repotting. It's about 35 years old and 7+ feet tall. It's got three stalks and sits in a pot that's 12" diameter and 12" tall. What size pot should it go into? Not sure how much bigger to buy. Just finding a nice looking pot that's big enough and costs less than $100 has been a challenge.
I wouldn't go up more than two sizes at a time, so maybe go to a 15-16" or so pot. I always need to add perlite to commercial potting mixes as I find most of them too dense. What you find in your area may be different, but if a small bag of "potting soil" seems to weigh a ton when you pick it up I would definitely grab some perlite, too. Make sure and rough up the roots a bit while you have the opportunity as I'd bet they are circling a bit. If you are confident you can saw an inch or two of roots off the bottom of the rootball to stimulate growth, too. Just make sure to keep the repotted plant in lower light for a week or two after the repotting while it establishes. Don't be afraid to look outside of the box for a pot- tubs sold for general storage can make a dandy plant pot with the use of a drill for several generous drainage holes. I find the big box store put their enormous pots on sale in the fall as well.
Thanks so much for your info! That's a huge help. I'm going to save this so I know what to do as soon as I find the pot. :)
