Tips For Easy Orchid Repotting: Four Essential Steps

Orchid repotting is probably more crucial to the health of orchids than repotting is to other houseplants. Orchids live in a potting medium that’s different than the potting soil that most other houseplants need. It’s usually made of a variety of substances like barks, sphagnum moss, perlite, clay pellets, peat moss, and other things that are combined to make a potting medium. It is also important to take care of the roots of orchids so that they are healthy and robust.

When and Why is Orchid Repotting Necessary?

• If the medium an orchid is potted in looks soggy or very dark – repot.
• If there are roots all over the place – repot.
• If you notice that the roots of the orchids are not healthy – repot.
• If an orchid is full of bugs or snails – repot.
• Repot at the end of blooming.
• Only repot few orchids at a time when necessary.

Some orchids need to be repotted more than others, but on an average, you can go a year or two between repotting. Most orchids prefer to be in “smallish” pots so it doesn’t matter if there’s a little root overhang on the pot.

Orchid “Pots”:

There are lots of different kinds of orchid pots and not all of them are pots.

• Clear pots are a favorite among orchid growers. Since orchid roots are not covered in soil, you can see the roots of orchids through the pot. That makes it easy to check the health of orchids’ roots without repotting orchids.
• Epiphytic orchids (those that grow on trees in nature) can be “potted” on a piece of wood or bark.
• Baskets.
• Special pots sold as orchid pots.
• Almost any container that will support an orchid.

Steps to Repotting Orchids:

• The day before potting, put the medium that you have chosen in a pan or bucket that’s about twice as large as the volume of potting medium. Cover it with hot water.
• When you’re ready to pot, pour off (now cold) water and potting medium through a strainer.
• Put some old newspapers on the table or bench to keep it clean.
• Lay out your tools, including a screwdriver or knife to pry errant roots off the pot, a tweezers to remove bits of medium and pests, and a stake to secure the orchid plant. Sterilize metal tools with rubbing alcohol. Wear latex gloves. It’s easy to pass pests and diseases between orchids. If you sterilize your tools between each plant and change gloves you are minimizing this problem.
• Get the orchid out of the pot. Don’t break the roots.
• Remove as much as the old medium as you can. Remove any pests you might see.
• Cut off any rotten roots.
• Put some clean potting medium in the new pot. Put the orchid in the pot and spread medium around the roots. Don’t cover the crown of the orchid.
• Water the orchids well after they are repotted.

Repotting orchids is not a hard job but it’s a job that must be undertaken to maintain the health and beauty of your orchid collection. Pay attention to the hints above and you’ll be experienced at orchid repotting in no time at all.

By: Pigmans

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Paul Pigmans is publisher of www.OrchidsGrowingInfoGuide.com. On his website he provides information on orchids repotting, and FREE resources on orchid care, watering, lighting, diseases and pests, propagating, and other general information on growing orchids. You can also register for FREE Mini-Course on how to care for your orchids.