Transition an Existing Plant to Pon

Transition your plant to pon in 4 simple steps.

Whether your plant is in soil or rooted in water, moving it to pon follows the same core principles. The most important thing to understand is this: 

Soil roots and water roots are physiologically different. They have different cell structures, different thicknesses, and different internal anatomy. A soil root can’t simply “adapt” to water — it needs to be replaced with roots built for the new environment.

Step 1:

Prepare

  1. Remove the plant from its pot or container.
  2. If the plant is coming from soil, gently massage and rinse away the soil. For stubborn soil, soak the roots for 10-15 minutes, then gently massage under running water to release. Try to remove as much soil as you can, but a little left behind is okay! Otherwise, soil in self-watering pots can hold too much moisture and lead to rot.
  3. Trim the roots back to 1-3 inches.

Why trim?
Old roots that can’t function well in the new environment often rot and spread pathogens. Trimming encourages the plant to grow fresh roots optimized for pon.

Step 2

Pot

  1. Fill the inner pot 1/4 with pon.
  2. Position the plant inside and spread its roots evenly.
  3. Fill the remaining space with pon.
  4. Tap and shake the pot lightly to ensure the pon and roots have settled.

Step 3

Transition

Top water (running the inner pot over the sink) every 1-3 days for the first month to keep the pon moist. Your plant is growing new roots adapted to semi-hydro, and that process takes time.

During this window:

• Keep the plant in bright, indirect light.
• Do not fertilize for the first 2 weeks.
• Starting in week 3, begin adding fertilizer to your watering solution.

Signs it's working:
• Plant feels firm (not droopy)
• New leaf growth
• White roots visible through the clear inner pot

Step 4

Maintain

Once you see new root growth (usually week 3-6):

  1. Stop top-watering. The plant is now ready to drink directly from the reservoir! The wick will keep the pon evenly moist.
  2. Check the reservoir weekly and refill when needed. Keep the water level below the bottom of the inner pot.
  3. Fertilize with every watering.

You’re now in maintenance mode. Read the Weekly Care Routine to learn about fertilizing, flushing, and keeping your plants happy long term!