Repotting guide

When & how to repot White Dead Nettle (Lamium album)

Also called White Dead Nettle, White Archangel, Bee Nettle.

More about white dead nettle

About White Dead Nettle

Lamium album · also called White Dead Nettle, White Archangel · herb

A native European perennial herb with nettle-like, heart-shaped leaves and whorls of creamy-white, hooded flowers from spring to late autumn. Long used in traditional herbal medicine for its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties. Highly attractive to bumblebees. Easy to grow in most soils and positions, including dry shade.

Mature size: 30–60 cm tall (12–24 in); spreads 60–100 cm (24–39 in) wide

How to tell white dead nettle needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For white dead nettle, 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 white dead nettle 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 white dead nettle

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. White Dead Nettleis grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Upright to semi-sprawling, rhizomatous perennial; self-seeds readily and can spread vigorously.

What size pot to step white dead nettle up to

Pot white dead nettle 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 white dead nettle

Pot white dead nettle 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 white dead nettle

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check white dead nettle 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 any well-drained to moist soil; loam, clay, or sandy 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 white dead nettle 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 white dead nettle

White Dead Nettle wants any well-drained to moist soil; loam, clay, or sandy. Extremely adaptable; grows in light sandy soils through to heavy clay. Tolerates mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soils (pH 5.5–7.5). Thrives in nutrient-poor conditions where it is less aggressive. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting white dead nettle — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot white dead nettle?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for white dead nettle. White Dead Nettle is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into any well-drained to moist soil; loam, clay, or sandy 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 white dead nettle need?

When is the best time of year to repot white dead nettle?

Can you put white dead nettle straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing white dead nettle 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 white dead nettle after repotting?

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