How to repair artificial plants with damaged pots

We do our best to protect our faux plants when they’re winging their way to you, but damages can happen. When they do, the most common issue is a damaged starter pot.

From an environmental point of view, rather than replacing your damaged plant, we’d much rather repair it so that it's as good as new. If your plant arrives damaged, we just need a photo which we'll review and get back to you with suitable compensation along with some advice on how to repair it. If you feel like your plant has arrived damaged beyond repair, please get in touch.

You may have bought a discounted plant from our damages outlet, most of which tend to have slightly damaged pots. Either way, watch our video below to show you three ways to fix a damaged starter pot or read on to see our full instructions.

What you'll need:

• Some protective gloves
• A new pot 5-10 cm larger than the original pot
• A trowel
• Either expanding foam or cement
• Some soil, sand or stones

Option 1: Basic re-pot

This option is best when your pot is only slightly damaged and has small cracks or holes in it.

We always recommend re-potting your plants when they arrive as it helps them to blend into your décor and keep them stable, so this option is no different than normal and there’s no need to panic as small cracks and breakages won’t affect the overall look of your plant.

First, take a larger more decorative pot (5-10cm larger usually works best) and add in some sand or stones in the bottom for weight and extra height if you need to.

Then put your plant, including its damaged pot, into your new pot and fill in the gaps with some sand or stones.

Lastly, check your plant is standing straight and top it off with some decorative stones.

Option 2: Expanding foam

Using expanding foam to fix your artificial plant is ideal when the starter pot has suffered more substantial damage. This should be done outside while wearing a pair of protective gloves, just in case you make any mess.

When choosing your new pot, pick something that's 5-10cm larger than your plants starter pot to keep your faux steady on its feet and looking more realistic. Remember that you won't be able to change the pot once you've finished.

1. Start by adding a layer of stones or sand to the bottom of your pot. This’ll help to weigh your plant down.

2. Pop your plant into your new pot, making sure it's straight, then give your can of expanding foam a good shake and follow its instructions.

3. Spray inside your pot with expanding foam until it’s just under halfway full. After a few minutes, the foam will expand to roughly twice its size and after an hour it should have set enough to add some decorative stones on top. If your foam has expanded too much, you can trim the top off with a Stanley knife before adding your stones.

4. After 12 hours the foam should be fully set, with your plant now fully potted up and ready to go into your space!

Option 3: Postcrete

If your plant's starter pot is badly damaged or missing entirely, cement or Postcrete is the best way to fix it, just make sure to do this outside to avoid any mess.

1. Start by adding a layer of stones or sand to the base of your new pot, if your plant needs some extra height. If not, skip straight to the next step.

2. Add your plant to your new pot and pour in some water to a third of the depth of your pot. Then, follow the instructions on your Postcrete and pour it in until no standing water is visible before sprinkling some water on top.

3. Prop your plant up with some timber so that it’s standing straight while the Postcrete sets, which should take around 10 minutes. Once the Postcrete has set, you can top it off with some soil, sand or stones for a more attractive finish.

Need some advice?

We’re more than happy to help with repairing your damaged plants, just get in touch and one of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.