Repotting guide

When & how to repot Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea)

Also called Creeping Charlie, Ground Ivy, Gill-over-the-Ground, Runaway Robin, Field Balm.

More about creeping charlie

About Creeping Charlie

Glechoma hederacea · also called Creeping Charlie, Ground Ivy · herb

A vigorous, aromatic Lamiaceae perennial that spreads by stolons to form a dense, kidney-leaf mat. Tolerates shade and a wide range of soils, making it effective ground cover but potentially invasive. Small lavender flowers appear in spring. Historically used as a culinary and medicinal herb; volatile oil content is mildly irritating to pets.

Mature size: 5–10 cm tall; spreading indefinitely unless contained

Watch for — Invasive spread: Stolons root readily at every node, enabling rapid colonization of lawns and borders. Contain with edging strips, grow in pots, or remove regularly by hand-pulling young stems before they root.

How to tell creeping charlie needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For creeping charlie, 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 creeping charlie 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 creeping charlie

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Creeping Charlieis grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Prostrate, mat-forming perennial spreader; stems root at nodes and extend rapidly by stolons. Can grow 30–60 cm outward per season in favorable conditions..

What size pot to step creeping charlie up to

Pot creeping charlie 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 creeping charlie

Pot creeping charlie 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 creeping charlie

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check creeping charlie 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 moderately fertile, moist, well-drained 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 creeping charlie 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 creeping charlie

Creeping Charlie wants moderately fertile, moist, well-drained loam. Adapts to clay, loam, and sandy soils across a pH of 6.0–7.5. Rich, moisture-retentive loam produces the most vigorous growth. Avoid permanently waterlogged ground, which leads to stem rot. In containers, use a general-purpose potting mix with added perlite for drainage. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting creeping charlie — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot creeping charlie?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for creeping charlie. Creeping Charlie is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into moderately fertile, moist, well-drained 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 creeping charlie need?

When is the best time of year to repot creeping charlie?

Can you put creeping charlie straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing creeping charlie 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 creeping charlie after repotting?

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