There are circumstances under which orchid repotting becomes necessary.

As soon as you bring it home, but only if it’s not in an appropriate medium
If the pot it is in is too small for it
If the root has begun to rot
If the medium it is in has become decayed
If you can detect salt or other elements in the medium

Whenever you bring home an orchid, you need to check to see if it is in the right sort of pot and growing medium. If it is, then do not repot it in order to avoid stressing it unnecessarily. Keep in mind that Orchids do not thrive in potting soil usually used for other types of plants. They prefer a mixture that has medium pieces of fir bark in it.

Only when the potting medium shows certain things on its surface, such as salt build-up, is it necessary to repot your orchid. Since in their natural habitat orchids grow on the trunks of trees, they are accustomed to having their roots aerated at all times. If the chunks of fir bark in the potting medium begin to show signs of decay, they can cause the commencement of root rot because of a reduction in air-flow.

If you are going to do an orchid repotting, make sure you have the necessary things on hand.

A new orchid pot that’s large enough to accommodate the orchid for two years
Orchid growing medium that is fresh and new
Water
Newspaper
Both pruning shears and knives

Once you have everything on hand, follow this procedure:

1. Sterilize your shears and knives with rubbing alcohol.
2. Spread newspaper over the area you are going to work on.
3. Carefully remove the orchid from its pot by turning it upside down. Use a knife to slide it out.
4. Clean out as much of the old medium from the root as you can.
5. If you find parts of the root brown and mushy, cut them off with the pruning shears.
6. The bottom of the pot should be filled with gravel. Orchids don’t like wet roots.
7. The pseudobulb should be at the side of the pot for the extension of the new lead
8. Pack new potting medium around the roots, keeping the rhizome level near the top.
9. To help the roots attach to the potting medium, you could tie the orchid to the side of the pot.
so as to allow the new roots to start growing.
10. Keep the orchid away from excessive sunlight. Once this has been done, you may return to the kind of regular orchid care that you have already been practicing prior to the repotting of the orchid.

Clean up your work area and enjoy your newly repotted orchid for the next two years, until it’s time to repot again. Thus, it should be apparent that orchid repotting is not something impossible; it’s just something that’s unlike repotting regularly cultivated household plants.

Author Bio: Allen Stoner runs a website dedicated to growing and caring for orchids. For more repotting orchids information visit http://www.orchidideas.com.

Category: Gardening
Keywords: repotting orchids, repot, transplant orchid, orchid, orchids