Over the years I’ve gone through quite a few moth orchids. I love them because they are so beautiful and easy to care for — or they are supposed to be. However, I have killed a lot of them. The first few definitely suffered from overwatering, but once I corrected that issue I still had staggered success.
I kept going through this cycle of a couple years of thriving health followed by a gradual decline in health. I know now that these plants needed to be repotted. It probably crossed my mind at the time, but the idea intimidated me. Between the exposed roots and mulch-like growing medium, I wasn’t very confident an attempt to repot the plant wouldn’t do more harm than good.
Incidentally, it was necessary to learn and not as scary as I thought.
Why do orchids need repotted?
There are three main reasons to repot your orchid. If you find that even one of these reasons fit, it’s probably a good idea to repot.
- Your orchid has outgrown its pot. It’s common for orchids to have loosely tangled roots. When they become tightly tangled and a mass of aerial roots are visibly outgrowing their pot, you need to think about repotting your orchid. Orchids require good aeration. Excess moisture and a lack of air can kill your plant.
- It’s been a couple of years. Orchids need fresh potting mix every one or two years because over time it will start to break down, affecting air circulation, soil drainage and nutrients.
- Your orchids roots are showing signs of rot. If you ignored the first two signs that your orchid needs to be repotted, you may notice your plant’s health is gradually declining. This is likely because its pot is holding too much water. If its roots are brown and soft to the touch, it’s definitely time to repot it. Your orchid may be able to recover in a new pot with fresh potting mix.
When to repot your orchid
- Never repot your orchid when it’s in bloom even if it looks like it needs it. Wait for the flowers to fall off, so you don’t stress the plant any more than necessary in the repotting process.
- The ideal time to repot your orchid is after it flowers when new growth appears. Orchids generally start putting new roots out in the spring.
How to repot your orchid
Materials
- Potting medium designed for moth orchids
- Plastic, latex or rubber gloves
- Pruners (sharp and sterilized)
- New razor blade
- Scissors
- Pot
10 steps to repot your orchid
- Selecting and preparing your potting mix. You want to select a potting mix that promotes good drainage and aeration. Many commercial mixes for orchids contain chopped pine or fir bark, coarse perlite and charcoal. Once you’ve made a selection, take it home and soak it overnight to absorb moisture before repotting. It’s also a good idea to water your orchid the night before.
- Choosing the right pot. Selecting the right size pot is important. You don’t want to pick a container that requires bending or wrapping the roots to fit the plant in; however, you don’t want to choose a container that is too larger either. Choosing a pot that is too big for your orchids roots system will make it vulnerable to root rot because it will retain excess moisture. You want to choose a pot that accommodates the root system without too much extra room. Additionally, you want to choose the right type of pot. Clay pots are preferable to plastic for two reasons: they prevent root rot by allowing more air flow and they anchor the plant better.
- Gather and sanitize your tools. Orchids are sensitive to disease, so you should sanitize your work surface, pots and tools before you get started. Use a commercial sanitizer or 1/2 cup of bleach per gallon of water. Make sure your hands/gloves are clean as well.
- Remove the orchid from the old pot. Grasping your orchid by the stem, gently work it out of the pot. If the plant is too difficult to remove this way, it may be necessary to break the old pot to prevent damaging it.
- Remove old potting medium from the orchid’s roots. Remove as much of the old potting medium as possible by loosening the roots and picking out the cold pieces of bark. You can also rinse out old potting mix, by running clean tepid water over the roots.
- Remove dead plant matter. Peel off dead or dying leaves, pull off any dead tissue on the stem, prune off dead bloom stalks, remove any portion of the stem extending below live roots with pruning shears and cut off all dead tissue from the roots using a new sharp razor blade. You can identify dead roots by squeezing them. Live tissue is solid, while dead tissue is hollow with a wiry appearance.
- Layer the bottom of your pot with potting medium.
- Place your orchid in the pot. Gently place the roots in the pot. Then slide them down, keeping the plant centered, until the bottom leaf of your orchid is about a half inch from the top of the pot.
- Fill in with potting medium. Once your plant and root system are pushed down into the new pot, you want to carefully fill in around it with your potting medium. Push it into the spaces between the roots until there are no air pockets left. Continue filling in until the level of potting medium is just below the base of the lower leaves of the plant. When you are done press gently to firm the potting mix in place.
- Water your orchid. When you are finished repotting your plant, water it thoroughly with tepid water. Then allow it to drain completely and discard any water left in the drip pan.
