Hello! New here, and fairly new to gardening as well. I bought this Corokia cotoneaster a few weeks ago and it seems to be thriving. I have two main questions: Firstly, I've been watering it from the bottom, because I've read that is good to encourage root-growth and it seems to be working. But, I've later also been advised that I should water it only from the top, so as you can see I've got conflicting advice here. I don't want to turn it into a bonsai, I love the look of it right now and want to keep it simply as a potted plant. Which brings me conveniently to my next question; I'd like to repot it into a little larger clay pot, both to give it room to grow and for aestethics. Should I throw away the plastic pot it came in, put some rubble for drainage and new soil into the new pot and stick it right in? Any advice from someone experienced with this plant would be greatly appreciated!


This is when I first got it-


These are the roots growing-


And this is my cotoneaster as of today-

Watering a potted plant from the top or bottom is strictly a preference. Some folks will tell you they only top water and others will swear by bottom watering. Don't let the pot sit in water as it will cause the roots on your plant to rot.

Yes, its in need of a larger pot. Yes, throw away the old plastic pot. To avoid root damage, cut the old pot down the sides and peel it off. I suspect you are going to discover that your cotoneaster is very rootbound. Try to work a couple roots loose from the root ball - the more the better but don't cause too much damage.

Do Not put pebbles in the bottom of your new pot. If the holes in the bottom of the pot are small, don't add anything. If they are large, a coffee filter or broken pot shard to keep the soil from falling out will work.

Alright, thank you for the good advice! I'm going out tomorrow to buy a new pot for it and will cut and peel off the original plastic pot and gently ruffle loose some roots when I plant it in the new one. This means I also will be watering from the top after I've replanted.

One more thing, should I use mineral-fertilized plantingsoil, or do I need something else when I repot it?

I'll post another picture here once I've got it replanted also.

Use good quality soil formulated for container plants. A lot of container soil does have enough fertilizer added in to last for the first 6 months or so. Don't buy the moisture control stuff. If you are going to a nursery for the soil, they can advise you.

I support botom watering. For as long as you can handle lifting pot into a bucket of water.

Do not put any kind of rocks in bottom of pot. You will only invite root rot. Just regular well draining soil. I cover my drain holes with old window screen.
For my soil mix.
I use equal parts of potting soil and washed sand. Not playground sand. It will kill plants.

If you up-pot it. Soak it for 20 minutes. And if it is rootbound.
Ruff up rootball. Oh. Like a half inch.
Up-pot it. In slighty damp soil. And leave it till next watering cycle.
😎😎😎

Yeah, I'm going to a nursery for the soil, so I will ask them what they think is best also.

Thank you both for great advice! I'll keep all that in mind as I go, and make sure not to put any rubble in the bottom of my new pot as well.

Finally got everything I needed and time to repot my Corokia. I hope this pot will be big enough for a while, as I don't have space for anything bigger on my windowsill. It looks small in the picture, but it's at least double the size of the old one and it wasn't that badly filled with roots when I took it out of the old one, though there were a few. I ruffled them up some and put one rock over the drainage hole as I didn't have any potshards to use. It seems to work well, I soaked it after replanting and lots of water came out the bottom.

I promised you a pic, so here it is I'll take some better photos and post it in the gallery once it's settled in properly.

Looks GREAT ! Von 😁
Like. "A" number one.
Good job ! Good job !
😎😎😎Philip

Thanks! I'm quite pleased with it