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Repotting orchids

Posted on 31 octobre 2010 by admin

It's time to re-pot !

Why repot an orchid ?

Repotting is an operation which becomes necessary:

ESPECIALLY due to the aging of the substrate. A decomposed substrate may cause the orchid roots to suffocate from a lack of ventilation. You will notice when this has happened as the water during irrigation will not penetrate the substrate easily. This may also be accompanied by a musty smell.
For the growth of a sympodial orchid that out grows its pot (more important and urgent in the house and the conservatory than in a green house, where humidity is high). Often you will need to put the orchid into larger pot or even divide the plant and repot in separate receptacles.
When there are an excess of roots (dead or alive) that stunt proper plant growth.

How to repot an orchid ?

Repotting an orchid is done in several steps:

Removal from its original pot
Pruning the roots
Repotting

Removal from original pot

Proceed with caution and with attention to detail to minimize damage to the roots. If the roots and the substrate are stuck in the pot, you have several options:

Lightly tap the inverted pot, using something solid like the corner of a piece of furniture if need be.
Break the pot if it is clay. In fact, the roots tend to cling to the surface of clay pots.

Pruning the roots

You may remove all the old substrate. Next, cut all roots that are too old or sickly, and any dried out leaves. Preferably use utensils that you have moments before disinfected with alcohol passed over a flame for a few seconds.

Repotting

You must fill the pot (preferably transparent) with the substrate, though do not immediately put all of substrate. Aim to fill the substrate enough so that the base of the orchid (immediately after the roots) will be on level with top of the pot once it is installed. You can add a support stick at this point if you wish. This may serve to support the plant structure and help steady the flower stalk. Finally put the orchid in the pot and fill the remaining space with the substrate up to the top of the pot.

After repotting, wait at least a month before fertilizing, and wait a few weeks before watering. These two precautions should be taken to avoid adding any additional shock to the orchid.

Videos on repotting

Coming soon…

27 thoughts on “Repotting orchids”

Joao Goncalves on 2 janvier 2011 at 13 h 43 min said:

In wich time of the year do you advise to do the repotting? Thanks joao.

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- admin on 2 janvier 2011 at 14 h 05 min said:
  
  Hi Joao Goncalves,
  
  Actually, feel free to re-pot when you want. The weather or climate isn’t so important, most important thing is to make sure you orchid needs to be re-poted. Usually, It useless to re-pot a young orchid, if you have to do it for any reason, my advise is then to wait the end of summer, when your orchid needs less water.
  
  Please keep us posted !
  Quentin
  
  Reply ↓
Talayna on 6 avril 2011 at 14 h 19 min said:

can you grow cut orchids and if so how is this possible? Thanks in advance.

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- admin on 6 avril 2011 at 22 h 29 min said:
  
  Hi Talayna, it is not possible to make them grow again, but try your maximum to keep them healthy.
  
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Lee M on 19 mai 2011 at 10 h 05 min said:

I have a Phalaenopsis orchid that has a small orchid plant growing out of the top of its blossom stem. I’ve never encountered this before or heard of it – so I don’t know what to do. How should I pot the small baby plant? It has 2 or 3 air roots growing with it.

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- Quentin on 10 juillet 2011 at 10 h 36 min said:
  
  Yes, you should repot the baby orchid
  
  Reply ↓
Raechel on 26 mai 2011 at 13 h 56 min said:

I just bought my first orchid (a phalaenopsis) and it is in full bloom and absolutely beautiful, however it is in a plastic pot which I am not particularly fond of. Can I repot it into a more attractive pot now, or should I wait until the flowers die off and repot then?

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- mudra on 14 juillet 2011 at 3 h 11 min said:
  
  Hi even I have just bought my first orchid and it is blooming beautifully and refreshingly. I just cannot take my eyes off it! But even I have got it in a plastic pot which is actually destroying the lovely look of my flowering plan. Kindly let me know about repotting as well.
  
  Reply ↓
Quentin on 10 juillet 2011 at 10 h 49 min said:

Raechel,

You should keep your orchid in the current pot yet. You can find beautiful pot to put over your transparent pot

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Sreenath on 10 juillet 2011 at 11 h 05 min said:

Thank you for the information. I was very careless about looking after my orchids, in fact I never knew anything about these techniques. I’ll follow the instructions soon.

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zpoter on 11 juillet 2011 at 11 h 11 min said:

Thank you for this post on repotting.I just started a small orchid garden. So this article is really helpfull for me. Also I have some doubts, ater repotting and waiting one month what all fertilizers do i need to apply? Can you suggest good a pesticide for orchid. Can you suggest some good orchid varieties.

Reply ↓
- admin on 12 juillet 2011 at 4 h 14 min said:
  
  Zpoter,
  Thank you for your feedback.
  You shouldn’t use fertilizers, as long as your orchids don’t need it, neither any pesticide.
  I love Phalaenopsis, but there are lots of very beautiful Vanda also !
  Best
  
  Reply ↓
ASHWANI on 12 juillet 2011 at 1 h 09 min said:

the article is very interesting and is very helpful.it wiil help me in taking care of my orchids , i was very careless toward my orchid but now i will take care of it.weather and atmospher also plays a vital role in growing of orchids.it is one of the best plants i have ever planted. it best grows in plastic pots

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gajanan on 13 juillet 2011 at 4 h 54 min said:

Hi everybody, thanks for a such an article which highlighten the life cycle and plantation of orchid. actually I love gardening but I hardly use most of the flowering plants and planing to plant one or two orchid in ma garden but still I couldnt able to reach it.after this article I should plant AND SUGGEST MA FRIEND and share this with them, Thanks once again..

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Bala on 13 juillet 2011 at 21 h 23 min said:

I am living in India in a metropolitan city in an apartment. Can anyone like me grow orchid who is living in apartment where sun light will be available only for a short period from 7AM to 7.30 AM but there will be enough ventilation and watering is not a problem?

Reply ↓
- admin on 14 juillet 2011 at 8 h 06 min said:
  
  Don’t worry about the sun, in most cases you don’t need it !
  You need light, but not direct sunlight !
  
  Reply ↓
Himanshu on 13 juillet 2011 at 23 h 44 min said:

Thank for the post, quite informative. However, I have got a small question. I have got a few blooming orchid plants in the garden. But I want to transfer a cutting to a small pot inside my room. But I don’t know if the orchids would flourish inside the room or not. I already have a few ornamental plants such as ferns, money plant etc. inside my room well flourishing, but I am not sure about orchids. Please help. Thank in advance.

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Anamika on 14 juillet 2011 at 3 h 59 min said:

I am very fond of orchids and even have got a small plant little time back. I was planning to repot my orchid and was looking for some good advice on this topic. Now I feel this article information ends my search and I will be able to repot my orchid with proper care and procedure.

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murali on 14 juillet 2011 at 7 h 46 min said:

Thank you for this post on repotting.I just started a small orchid garden.I was very careless about looking after my orchids, in fact I never knew anything about these techniques. I’ll follow the instructions soon.

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Tom Greenthumb on 14 juillet 2011 at 18 h 33 min said:

Do you have any recommendations on nutrients for a repotted orchid? If I’m going to repot, I want to be sure I’m giving my orchid the best chance of survival; it was a gift, and I’m not exactly a genius when it comes to taking care of orchids!

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Nilesh Patel(patelnrp) on 16 juillet 2011 at 11 h 32 min said:

Videos on repotting….about ( Repotting orchids ) ,sound good , I am eagerly waiting for the video ,please try to shoot with HD camera with detail shoot on Repotting orchids,with live demo …can I use orchids for cure of IBS ( Irritable bowl syndrom )

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Rhadha on 17 juillet 2011 at 9 h 15 min said:

I am interested in growing orchid after reading the article. Please inform me whether orchid has any medical property or it can be used for decorating the house only. Can I grow orchid in a pot in my open terrace where there will be direct sunlight and lot of free air circulation.

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sathish kumar on 18 juillet 2011 at 7 h 29 min said:

Thanks for the information ,it was very interesting article , this article is really helpful for me. I ever knew this message , today onwards i take care of my orchid it is one of the best plants i have ever planted, and also i told my friends to take care of it thank you once again .

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Richa on 18 juillet 2011 at 9 h 34 min said:

Hi what kind of pot we need to use? can we use pots made up of clay? or only plastic pots or transparent pots? If only transparent pots then can you please explain me the reason for doing so?I am actually a working person who loves gardening.But I have only little place for gardening.can you please let me know what kind of orchids I can grow in order to make my little garden look beautiful and also which needs less care as I will not be available to water them frequently?Can you also let me know the fertilizers to be used.Thanks in advance

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Janani Siva on 18 juillet 2011 at 21 h 35 min said:

Hi…

This article is so helpful, simple, and interesting. Orchids are not easy to grow. They need some additional care as said above. When we do re-potting we help the plant to grow in a healthy environment. The roots will feel free to breathe too… If we do this we can have the orchid for a long time….in our garden…

Thank you….

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Janani Siva on 18 juillet 2011 at 21 h 36 min said:

Can you explain the time interval for re- potting?

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Sadie Jean on 18 juillet 2011 at 23 h 04 min said:

Choosing the right substrate is so important when transplanting your orchids. I’ve found that it’s not so much about the material itself as it is the material’s ability to retain the right amount of moisture. Not enough moisture and the orchid will obviously die, but too much is also dangerous.

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