Repotting guide

When & how to repot Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus)

Also called love-lies-bleeding, tassel flower, velvet flower, pendant amaranth, quilete.

More about love-lies-bleeding

About Love-lies-bleeding

Amaranthus caudatus · also called love-lies-bleeding, tassel flower · flowering

Love-lies-bleeding is a dramatic warm-season annual grown for its long, pendulous, deep crimson flower tassels that drape from sturdy stems up to 1.5 m tall. Native to South America, it thrives in heat, full sun and well-drained soil. Its grain and leaves are edible in some cultures, but Amaranthus retroflexus (a close relative) is ASPCA-listed as toxic; treat ornamental Amaranthus with caution around pets.

Mature size: 90-150 cm tall, 45-60 cm spread

Watch for — Root rot in waterlogged soil: Amaranthus is sensitive to waterlogged or poorly drained soil — always plant in free-draining soil or raised beds and avoid overwatering in cool, wet periods.

How to tell love-lies-bleeding needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For love-lies-bleeding, 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 love-lies-bleeding 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 love-lies-bleeding

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Love-lies-bleedingis grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Upright fast-growing warm-season annual with long pendulous flower tassels.

What size pot to step love-lies-bleeding up to

Pot love-lies-bleeding 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 love-lies-bleeding

Pot love-lies-bleeding 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 love-lies-bleeding

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check love-lies-bleeding 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, free-draining 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 love-lies-bleeding 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 love-lies-bleeding

Love-lies-bleeding wants moderately fertile, free-draining loam. Grows well in moderately fertile, neutral to slightly acidic loam (pH 6.0-7.0). Overly rich soil encourages leafy growth at the expense of flowers and weakens stems. Good drainage is important — soggy soil causes crown and root rot. In containers use a peat-free multipurpose compost with added perlite or grit. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting love-lies-bleeding — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot love-lies-bleeding?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for love-lies-bleeding. Love-lies-bleeding 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, free-draining 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 love-lies-bleeding need?

When is the best time of year to repot love-lies-bleeding?

Can you put love-lies-bleeding straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing love-lies-bleeding 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 love-lies-bleeding after repotting?

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