How to Transplant a Root-Bound Bird of Paradise

Prepare the new container. Scatter pebbles or potsherds from a broken ceramic or clay pot inside a pot to aid drainage. Choose a pot that's one size larger than the pot the bird of paradise is in. Fill the pot half-full with potting soil, or make your own growing medium with 1 part loam, 1 part peat moss and 1 part vermiculite. Add a slow-release, balanced fertilizer like 14-14-14.

Remove the bird of paradise from the pot. If the plant is small, spread your palm out over the dirt in the pot and slip your fingers around the stem of the plant. Turn the pot over and gently tug on the stem with your fingers until the plant slides out. If the plant doesn't slide out easily, run a knife around the edge of the dirt and try again. For a larger plant, run the knife around the edge of the dirt and set the pot on its side. Gently pull the plant out of the pot.

Divide the plant if it has more than one stem. This step is optional, but it will create two plants from one and the new plants will be slower to outgrow their pots. Work your fingers into the root ball and gently tug the two stems apart. This is best done in the late spring or early summer.

Set the bird of paradise in the new container. Make sure the remaining root ball sits at least an inch below the lip of the container. Use your palms or knuckles to press the plant into place and then fill the pot with potting soil or the medium you mixed. Press the new potting soil down and water the plant.