Repotting orchids. How and when to repot orchids ?
Orchids grow like all plants and it is obvious that they need to be repotted once in a while. However, many people are concerned about this procedure. Meanwhile, repotting orchids is quite simple, you just have to remember to choose the right orchid substrate, pot and the appropriate transplanting technique depending on the type of orchid. See how to replant orchids so that these plants grow healthy and bloom nicely!
A substrate for orchids
Before you start replanting an orchid, make sure you have a suitable substrate. Orchids do not grow in ordinary soil that you know from garden stores. Orchids need an airy substrate, consisting mainly of bark combined with various components.
You should remember that the garden bark should be fresh, it should not be left in a plastic container or bag for too long, where anaerobic conditions may develop and the bark will start to decompose, and this type of material is not good for anything. Therefore, when storing the bark, make sure that it has adequate air access.
A very good addition to the substrate of orchids is sphagnum moss. It has very good properties because it maintains humidity for a long time and the plants do not rot.
If orchids are ‘ill’ you should repot them into the substrate with sphagnum moss. It will provide best humidity conditions, and the diseased orchids will begin to produce new roots and resume grow quickly! Remember, however, that sphagnum moss is protected in nature, so you can only get it from artificial breeding.
A good addition to the substrate is also popular polystyrene, of course properly shredded. First of all, it improves the aeration of the substrate, and also has an extremely long durability. The only drawback is that it is not compostable as an artificial product.
The substrate for orchids can also be enriched with many other components, e.g. vermiculite, sponge or perlite, and even peanut shells. An increasingly common ingredient is crushed coconut shell, which is often even the main ingredient!
Although it is not an ideal substrate because after 6 months the coconut begins to decompose, which causes root damage.
To sum up, the best substrate for orchids is good quality bark mixed with sphagnum moss or fibrous light peat.
Flower pot for an orchid
Another important element when repotting orchids is the container into which you will transplant the orchid, i.e. the pot. It is worth emphasizing here that in nature, orchids grow on trees or rocks, and their roots hang free in the air.
However, in order for them to grow on our windowsill, they need to be put in a pot, which may come as a shock to many of these plants.
There are many types of pots for orchids:
Plastic or clay pots
Clay containers are not a very good solution because they have a rough texture that often irritates the roots. In addition, water evaporates through the porous walls, which cools the entire substrate. It is also common for plants to fall out of such containers. In contrast, plastic pots are much better. They maintain a slightly higher temperature of the substrate, and also have a perforated bottom, which facilitates water drainage.
Transparent pots
They have been gaining more and more popularity in recent years. And no wonder they are a really good solution, and permanent. The only thing you should remember is to make sure that the walls of the pot are not overgrown with algae, which take away nutrients from our orchids, being a competition for them.
Baskets
Many orchids grow well in baskets. There are very nice wooden baskets for sale, for example, to be hanging from the ceiling. This allows you to observe fleshy orchid roots overgrowing through the basket. Unfortunately, these types of containers are problematic because dripping water can drip onto the floor long after watering.
Repotting orchids – step by step
The transplanting procedure is the point where the most mistakes are usually made. So you should first familiarize yourself with the theory in order to safely proceed to practice.
Important! The repotted orchid should have a slightly moist substrate. If its roots are too dry, they can break during transplanting.
You transplant orchids a bit differently for monopodial and sympodial orchids.
Monopodial orchids
Step 1
Squeeze the sides of the pot lightly so that the roots detach easily from the sides of the pot. Pull out the orchid gently and equally gently and thoroughly remove all the substrate from between the roots.
Step 2
Remove all old roots by cutting off with clean scissors. Too old roots would rot anyway in a new pot.
Step 3
Gently arrange the roots in the pot, slowly twisting them and covering them with a new substrate, also inserting air roots if the plant is therefore more stable. The plant should be in the center of the pot!
Sympodial orchids
Same procedure as for monopodial orchids. Remember that there must be a new shoot in the center of the new pot! Substrate should not cover rhizomes and buds because they can rot. The exception is the Paphiopedilum orchids (slippers). The substrate should cover the uppermost roots with a thin layer of the thumb.
How often to transplant orchids
Of course, everything depends on the plant’s growth rate. It is assumed that orchids should be replanted every two years.
Although sometimes it is necessary to perform this procedure earlier due to inferior quality of the substrate or occurring orchid diseases.
How do you know when you are growing that it is time to replant? Well, you need to pay attention to the roots, if they start to grow outside the pot, it means that it’s time to replant the orchid.
You should not put it off for too long because the roots growing in the air for a long time will not be able to adapt to the development in the substrate and will simply rot.
Warning! You should never replant an orchid right after purchase, as this can be too much of a shock to the plant.
The best time for repotting orchids is from April to September. When there is more sunlight and the plants get more energy. Orchids with monopodial growth can be replanted at any time from spring to autumn. On the other hand, sympodial orchids – when young shoots grow out of them, because they also grow new roots, which facilitates rooting in a new pot.
Warning! When transplanting, pay special attention to the root tips (bright green points at the end of the root), these are the sites of cell division that are responsible for root growth. It is best not to touch them or to minimize them.
Is it possible to replant an orchid while it blooms?
Any transplanting strongly disrupts the development of the plant, therefore transplanting with orchid flowers can result in the total or partial loss of flowers. At the same time, however, you should remember that it is better to replant an orchid and lose its flowers than to let it continue to grow in a too small pot.
It is also worth removing the inflorescence shoot with flowers after replanting during flowering, as this will make it much easier for the plant to settle in a new pot.
Are orchids pruned when transplanting?
When transplanting, cut off any diseased, slimy or poorly-damaged parts of the plant, remember to use clean scissors! The trimmed plant should be put aside for several minutes before planting in a new pot, so that the wounds can close together.
Warning! When transplanting, those old and ugly pseudobulbs of Dendrobium and Cattleya orchids should not be removed. These bulbs contain a reserve of water and nutrients that will be useful for the plant after transplanting.
