Repotting guide

When & how to repot Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow (Brunfelsia pauciflora)

Also called Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow, Morning-noon-and-night, Kiss-me-quick, Lady-of-the-night, Franciscan rain tree.

More about yesterday-today-and-tomorrow

About Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow

Brunfelsia pauciflora · also called Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow, Morning-noon-and-night · flowering

Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow (Brunfelsia pauciflora) is an evergreen tropical shrub whose fragrant flowers fade from purple to lavender to white over three days. Give it bright, slightly filtered light, consistently moist acidic soil, warmth and high humidity. The ASPCA lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, so keep it away from pets.

Mature size: Typically 3-8 ft (1-2.5 m) tall and wide as a shrub outdoors, reaching up to 10 ft (3 m) in ideal tropical conditions; stays smaller and easily kept to 2-4 ft when container-grown or pruned. Dwarf 'Compacta' forms stay more compact.

Watch for — Bud and flower drop: Usually from the rootball drying out, sudden temperature swings, draughts or moving the plant while in bud. Keep moisture and temperature steady and avoid relocating it during flowering.

How to tell yesterday-today-and-tomorrow needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For yesterday-today-and-tomorrow, watch for these signs:

Roots spiralling thickly out of the drainage holes or pushing the whole plant up out of the pot.
The pot is so packed that water runs straight through in seconds and barely wets the soil.
It has split a plastic pot, or the rootball is a solid mass with almost no soil left when you slide it out.
Growth and (for yesterday-today-and-tomorrow) flowering have clearly stalled despite good light and feeding — but remember this plant likes being snug, so a little crowding alone is not a reason to repot.

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 yesterday-today-and-tomorrow

Only every 2–4 years, when genuinely crowded. Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow is one of the plants that genuinely prefers a snug pot — it grows and flowers better with its roots a little restricted, so resist the urge to repot it on schedule. Slow-growing, bushy evergreen shrub with glossy oval leaves. Flowers open deep purple, fade to lavender the next day, then to near-white, so all three colours appear at once. Responds well to light shaping; prune lightly just after the main spring flush..

What size pot to step yesterday-today-and-tomorrow up to

Go up only one pot size — roughly 2–3 cm (about an inch) wider in diameter, no more. Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow positively prefers a snug pot: it flowers and grows better when the roots are a little restricted. The single biggest repotting mistake here is over-potting — dropping yesterday-today-and-tomorrow into a pot two or three sizes up. All that surplus soil holds water the small root system cannot use, stays cold and wet, and rots the roots within weeks. When in doubt, choose the smaller pot.

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 yesterday-today-and-tomorrow

Early spring, just as new growth restarts, is the ideal window for yesterday-today-and-tomorrow. The plant is moving into its strongest growth phase and re-roots into fresh soil quickly. Avoid repotting in winter dormancy or, for flowering plants, while it is in bud or bloom — recovery is slowest then and you risk dropping the flowers.

Step-by-step: repotting yesterday-today-and-tomorrow

Confirm it actually needs it. Slide yesterday-today-and-tomorrow out and check the roots. Only continue if it is genuinely packed — this plant prefers a snug pot, so if there is still soil and room, put it straight back.
Pick a pot only one size up. Choose a pot just 2–3 cm wider with good drainage. Resist anything bigger; over-potting is the main killer here.
Ease it out gently. Water lightly the day before, then tip yesterday-today-and-tomorrow out, supporting the base. Tease the outer roots free only enough to stop them circling.
Repot at the same depth. Add a layer of fresh rich, well-draining, moisture-retentive acidic mix, set the plant so the soil line sits exactly where it did before, and backfill around the sides, firming lightly.
Settle it in. Water once to settle the soil, then let it sit. Hold off on more water until the top of the soil dries — fresh soil around a small root system stays wet for a while.

Aftercare

Because the new soil holds more water than the old crammed rootball did, ease right back on watering — let the top of the soil dry before you water yesterday-today-and-tomorrow again, or you will rot the roots in the very pot you just moved it to. Keep it out of harsh direct sun for a fortnight. Do not fertilise for about 4 weeks — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for yesterday-today-and-tomorrow

Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow wants rich, well-draining, moisture-retentive acidic mix. Prefers slightly acidic soil just below pH 7. Use a loamy mix amended with peat moss, composted bark or pine needles plus perlite for drainage. Alkaline soil causes iron chlorosis (yellowing leaves); correct with chelated iron. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting yesterday-today-and-tomorrow — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot yesterday-today-and-tomorrow?

Only every 2–4 years, when genuinely crowded for yesterday-today-and-tomorrow. Only repot yesterday-today-and-tomorrow every 2–4 years, and only when it is genuinely root-bound — it flowers and grows best slightly crowded. Step up just one pot size in spring using rich, well-draining, moisture-retentive acidic mix. The key mistake is over-potting: a too-big pot stays wet and rots the roots.

What size pot does yesterday-today-and-tomorrow need?

When is the best time of year to repot yesterday-today-and-tomorrow?

Does yesterday-today-and-tomorrow like to be root-bound?

Yes — yesterday-today-and-tomorrow genuinely flowers and grows best when slightly pot-bound, so do not rush to repot it. The mistake to avoid is over-potting into a much larger pot: the excess soil stays wet, the roots cannot use it, and the plant rots. Only repot every few years and only one snug size up.

Should you fertilise yesterday-today-and-tomorrow after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 4 weeks after repotting yesterday-today-and-tomorrow. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.