Repotting guide

When & how to repot Brazilian Araucaria (Araucaria angustifolia)

Also called Paraná pine, Brazilian pine, candelabra tree.

More about brazilian araucaria

About Brazilian Araucaria

Araucaria angustifolia · also called Paraná pine, Brazilian pine · edible

Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine, is a critically endangered South American conifer with a flat-topped, candelabra crown and stiff, sharp, broad needles. Its large seeds, called pinhão, are edible and a traditional winter food in southern Brazil. Slow-growing and frost-sensitive, it makes a striking ornamental in warm climates and an unusual young container plant.

Mature size: Up to 40 m tall in habitat with a broad candelabra crown; kept to 1-2 m for years as a young container or patio plant.

Watch for — Root rot in wet soil: Waterlogged or heavy ground rots the roots and browns the foliage. Ensure sharp drainage and avoid overwatering containers.

How to tell brazilian araucaria needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For brazilian araucaria, watch for these signs:

Roots circling the bottom of the module or pot, or poking out of the drainage holes.
The seedling dries out within a day and growth has visibly stalled.
Roots are white and matted in a tight spiral when you tip the plant out.
It has outgrown its current container for the stage of the season — pot brazilian araucaria on before it becomes hard root-bound.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot brazilian araucaria

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Brazilian Araucariais grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Large evergreen conifer growing with a straight trunk and tiered, upward-curving branches that form a distinctive flat-topped, candelabra-like crown with age; foliage of stiff, sharp, broad-based scale leaves..

What size pot to step brazilian araucaria up to

Pot brazilian araucaria on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot brazilian araucaria

Pot brazilian araucaria on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting brazilian araucaria

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check brazilian araucaria regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh deep, free-draining, slightly acidic loam at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water brazilian araucaria in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for brazilian araucaria

Brazilian Araucaria wants deep, free-draining, slightly acidic loam. Prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained acidic to neutral soil. For containers, use an acidic conifer or houseplant mix with added grit. It dislikes heavy, alkaline, or waterlogged ground. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting brazilian araucaria — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot brazilian araucaria?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for brazilian araucaria. Brazilian Araucaria is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into deep, free-draining, slightly acidic loam so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does brazilian araucaria need?

When is the best time of year to repot brazilian araucaria?

Can you put brazilian araucaria straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing brazilian araucaria should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise brazilian araucaria after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting brazilian araucaria. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.