How to Repot Your Orchids
Orchid repotting is one of the necessary things you need to
do when caring for orchid. Here you will place your orchid into another pot due
to two clear reasons.
First, your orchid has grown bigger and it simply does not
fit in the current pot anymore. It needs more room to grow healthy and produce
beautiful flowers. If you see your plant has it root as well as the whole plant
exceeding the edges of the pot, then you definitely need to repot your orchid.
Second, your potting media is not useful anymore. It is
broken which fails to facilitate good water and air circulation. It becomes
less effective since it has lost the necessary elements or may be too mushy
which tends to rotten the roots
As a matter of fact, repotting is a common activity for
almost every house plant. Like those house plants, the repotting of orchids is
quite similar. However there are a few aspects that you need to attend to. This
is about the right timing. The best time to repot your orchid is when your
orchid is showing signs of new growth with some roots still short which can be
easily removed from the potting media. While the worst time which you should
avoid is when your orchid is still blooming or just showing a spike.
When repotting your orchids you need some tools and other
things that include some newspapers, a scissor or a plant clipper and a sharp
knife or cutter. To sterilize your scissor and knife you can use a lighter to
burn those tools or rubbing alcohol. Then choose a new larger pot and new
potting media.
Orchid repotting can be done according to three basic steps:
Step #1 – Orchid removal from the old pot.
Spread some of the newspapers on the floor or a table so
that the potting media will not directly fall on the floor or table. Take the
old orchid and turn it up side down above the newspaper. One hand holds the pot
and the other holds the orchid and the potting media. Squeeze the pot gently
while trying to remove it from the plant. To loosen the pot, you can make some taps
to the side of the pot, then try to remove while squeezing again. If the pot
holds too fast, make use of the knife or cutter.
Step #2 – Preparing your orchid for repotting.
After removing your orchid from the old pot, you have to
split the roots from the old potting media. Do it gently by shaking the plant
until the roots are nearly free from the old media. If there are still
remaining potting media, do not try to remove it by force since this may damage
the root.
Trim the orchid roots prior to repotting. Use the
sterilized knife. Cut all the dead or any damaged root which could be wet and
mushy or dry and easily broken. Healthy roots appear firm, white colored with
light green colored growing ends.
Step #3 – Placing your orchid into the new pot
If you wish to still use your old pot, you should completely
wash it. Then you should soak it in a weak solution of diluted chlorine bleach
for about 30 minutes then rinse it well. To provide good drainage, you need to put
some clean stones, plastic foam peanuts or broken plates in the pot bottom.
It is best if you replace the potting media with a new one.
However you can also use the old media with some treatment. Wash it with water
to make it a bit mushy then you should place it on top of the drainage materials.
Place your orchid firmly by putting more potting media around the roots. Press
down the loose potting media using your thumb. Please make sure that the top of
the roots are at one level with the bark. Well. That concludes how you should
repot your orchids
