Re-Potting Your Orchids

by Robert Roy

We have been asked by customers, "when should my orchid be re-potted". I will cover this subject by orchid genera. In this article I will cover phalaenopsis, dendrobiums, miltonias and cattleyas. Next month it will be vandas, paphs, and oncidiums.

Phalaenopsis are probably the most common orchid plants that are sold. Their blooms are large and they can last up to 3-4 months. So when should should you repot phals. These plants can go for 2 or 3 years without ever needing to be repotted. When you notice that there seems to be a tight fit in the container and there is definitely a need to get a larger pot. Clay pots are usually better than plastic.

Using a bark mixture for phals that are in 5 inch pots or above is recommended. But for those less than 5 inch pots use sphagnum moss. The moss distributes the moisture more evenly. The best time of the year to do this is during either the spring or fall.

Dendrobiums are actually part of the phal genera. You can re-pot this orchid plant once again every 2-3 years. The right time is when the orchid cane, (that almost wood like structure from which the leaves develop), grow out over the edge of the pot. You can use a similar potting material that was used in re-potting phals.

Another point is dividing these plants. This can be done easily when you can have 3 canes per division. Simply divide the plant in two. Carefully try to dissect the roots. You will find that some do not divide easily and may be cut with a clean razor blade. Now you have two plants for the price of one. Once again, the spring or fall is the time to do this.

Are cattleyas easy to repot is the question that comes to us occasionally. This may sound more complicated than most but it really is easy. When the plant is starting to grow over the pot it is time to report. Be sure that the new clay pot is big enough to allow growth for at least 2 years.

Simply pry the cattleya out of the old pot. Be careful to not break a lot of the rots. There will be some broken roots as this is common. It may necessary to use a hammer to break the clay pot. Just remove the old potting medium and any clay shards. Trim off the dead roots.

When repotting put the old root spread out near the outside edge of the pot. Simple use a medium fir bark as the medium. Place it in the pot to fill in the areas and place the other roots near the center of the pot. You will find that some of them don't want to go where you want them and that's fine.

Spring is the best time of the year to repot cattleyas. If dividing the plant needed you can do it now. Leave 3-4 pseudobulbs with each division. Carefully separate the roots cutting those that you can't divide.

Miltonias are the next genera that will be repotted. This is one orchid that needs to be repotted each year. Almost all other orchids need this every 2 -3 years. This plant needs medium that holds the moisture. It is composed of mixture of small bark, sphagnum moss and rook wool. In the spring repot miltonias. You will notice that they seem to be root bound, in fact, they like it.

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