Repotting Orchids At Home

Repotting orchids can be intimidating the first few times. If done incorrectly, you can damage the plant or redirect its energy without realizing it. Most orchids do not have to be repotted constantly. If you don’t have a good reason for wanting to repot, it’s best to wait another year. You will need to know what kind of orchid you have to ensure that you are repotting correctly. You also want to have the necessary supplies on hand. Don’t pull the orchid out of its pot and then leave it. Make sure that you have everything you need before you begin the process.

Potting media is what you are going to pack around the roots of the orchid in the pot. It can be bark or soil or other organic material. An orchid’s potting media needs are determined by its type. This is just one of the reasons to know the type ahead of time. Placing an orchid in the wrong type of potting media can be harmful. Bark, for example, uses a lot of nitrogen as it decomposes. If you place bark around an orchid that is not suited to it then the plant will not receive the nutrients it needs. Additionally, if bark is okay for your orchid, you may still need to invest in fertilizer that provides a high amount of nitrogen.

Every few years, you may get the urge to redecorate your home. You want a fresh, new look. Repotting orchids serves a similar purpose for the plant. You don’t always repot an orchid to give it more room to grow. It may be that the potting media is dying around your orchid. This can cause the roots of an orchid to begin decomposing. You can transfer an orchid to another pot of the same size and give it fresh potting media to provide it with a better environment. While you can transfer it to a larger pot, you will affect the way its energy flows. Instead of producing new blooms, the plant will concentrate on expanding its root system to fill the new home. This will mean fewer flowers on the plant.

Orchids can be divided into three groups based on their repotting schedules. Dendrobium, Miltonia, Paphiopedilum, Phalaenopsis and any hybrids should be repotted every year. Cattleya, Dendrobium, Oncidium, Odontoglossum and any hybrids can be repotted every second year. Repot Vanda, its allies and Cymbidium every three years. All dead roots can be cut off of the orchid before transferring it to another pot. You may also need to wait a few days to begin watering and fertilizing the plant again. This varies by type. All together, repotting orchids is simple as long as you follow the rules for your type of plant.

By: Alan Stables

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Alan Stables is a keen gardener, and one of his specialities is caring for orchids. Given optimum environment conditions depending on the various orchid types , the correct orchid food and the correct amount of sunlight and water, you too will be able to grow beautiful orchids in no time.