Repotting orchids is only necessary once a year. This is because they like to be a little pot bound. In fact you should only do this when there are too many long roots overflowing out of the container.
Containers: What pots should you use? Terracotta pots are good as they help to maintain a more even temperature. They should be small as orchids do not like to have too much space. Special orchid pots are ideal with slits at the base to allow good air circulation, when repotting orchids try to make sure the pot is only an inch larger than the old one.
Media: a special bark media is used for Denrobium and Phalaenopsis orchids. This is because they have air roots. They can be found growing on trees in the wild, relying on nutrients gained from the air and moisture from the humid climate. It is important to keep the roots of your plant well aerated.
Special handling: when repotting orchids you need to handle the plant very carefully. This is because the root system is easily damaged. Be careful to take it out of the old container very gently. Sometimes roots get stuck on the sides; remove these gently to prevent damage.
Pruning roots: the roots of your plant should be pruned. Make sure that you get rid of all dead roots. Dried up and moist wet roots that are brown and discolored should be pruned to keep the plant healthy. Healthy roots will be white, with bright green tips.
4 Steps for Repotting Orchids:
Step one: remove the orchid from its old pot. Sometimes this is hard to do, so you may have to soak it in warm water to loosen it up. This will allow it to be removed safely from the pot without risk of damaging the roots.
Step two: remove all the old bark mix and prune the roots. See above for details.
Step three: soak the new bark media in warm water. Put the plant in the center of the pot and put the bark media around it. If necessary stake the plant to keep it from falling down. Try not to pack the media as it will then retain too much water and damage the root system of the plant.
Step four: Label the plant with
• The name
• Date it was repotted
• Date it last bloomed
This will help you to know when the plant will put up flower shoots and when it is time for repotting orchids again.
You can visit http://www.fixorchidproblems.com to learn more about repotting orchids.
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