LifeTraditional advice tells us to only move growing plants to a pot one size larger. The science shows that you don't need to bother with this slow transition, says James Wong 19 March 2025 A tomato plant finds a new homeGAP Photos/Gary SmithOld-School gardeners are notoriously suspicious of trendy new ideas in horticulture, and with good reason. Planty social media is often filled with claims so colourfully fact-free they would make the average well-being influencer blush. But before older growers like me get too smug, it is worth remembering that much of the best-established gardening advice, when actually put to the test, also turns out to be based on pretty shaky evidence. It is hard to find a better example of this than the widely held fear of over-potting. Let me explain.