How to repair artificial plants with damaged pots

From an environmental point of view, rather than replacing your damaged plant, we’d much rather try to repair it so that it's as good as new. Watch our video or read our instructions to see how you can repair your pot.

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.

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

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.

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.
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.
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.

FAQ's

Here are a few common queries we tend to receive regarding damages.

There's loose foliage in the box

Finding loose foliage in the packaging can be a little alarming, and in some cases the plant is simply damaged and you should contact us with an image.

But in some cases it's simply extra foliage that wasn't attached during the production process.

Big robotic machines produce entire lengths of foliage in rapid succession and, from time to time, pick up extra leaves which have no space on the branch to be attached to.

If there is a small amount (less than 5-10 leaves) of foliage loose in the box, this is generally the case.

However if there is a substantial amount, like entire branches, or the plant is looking sparse, it is almost certainly damaged. In this case, or if you'd like someone to review it for you, get in touch.

Dealing with creased or bent foliage

If your item has arrived with creased or slightly bent foliage, please don't be alarmed.

Most creases will normally drop out by themselves after a few days, or can be solved by smoothing them between your fingers. Other plants (that tend to have hundreds or thousands of leaves) tend to be wilder by design.

Feel free to get in touch with our team who will be happy to give product specific advice and guidance.

If the creases and bends in foliage are more extreme and detrimental, then it's probable that the item will need to be replaced. Please report a damage here and we'll be in touch to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Limitations to damage policy

We want all of our customers to be happy with their purchase, so we will endeavour to be reasonable and flexible when it comes to dealing with damages. In most cases we will go further than the UK law requires of us.

In some cases a small amount of foliage or petals will come loose during transit or while you are dressing the plant. These damage requests will only be upheld if there is substantial, noticeable damage to the product.

Finally, please note that your legal right to reject a product due to damage or unsatisfactory quality does not cover accidental or deliberate damages.

What if I can't repair it?

If you purchased a plant from our damages outlet and you can't repair it, sadly we aren't able to offer any compensation or refunds for this.

However, if you've purchased a brand new plant which has arrived damaged and you can't repair it, please get in touch with us along with a photo of the damage within 30 days and we'll be in touch with the appropriate next steps, usually in the form of a refund or replacement.