How to Reinvigorate Fruit Trees and Bushes by Repotting

Most fruit trees and bushes benefit from being moved into a bigger pot every one to three years. This can help to reinvigorate them by a) providing more space for the roots to grow and b) providing a fresh supply of nutrients.

The best time to do this is when the tree is dormant in winter.

You can usually tell if a tree needs repotting if a) it looks obviously too big for the pot or b) there are signs of roots coming out of the holes at the bottom. If unsure, lie the pot on its side and slide the tree out of the pot (the video shows how I do this). Have a look at the root ball. If lots of roots are visible, particularly if you see them circling the pot, it's time to repot.

If you don't have space for a larger pot, trees can still benefit from repotting, particularly if it seems to be losing vigour. Remove the tree, scrape about a third to half of the soil away from round the roots, and prune off some of the longer roots (but don't remove more than a third of the roots in total). Then return the tree to the pot, with some fresh potting mix. It's often a good idea to prune about the branches of the tree at the same time, particularly if you pruned the roots (this helps to balance it out).

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