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Tips on How to Re-Pot and Divide Orchids

June 29th, 2008 · No Comments · Flower Gardening, by plant, care and watering, container gardening, flowers, home gardening tips, houseplants, indoor gardening

OrchidsA gardener growing orchids in the garden knows when to re-pot it. However, for someone who is a beginner with this lovely plant ,it is very important to know when the leaves and bulbs start getting packed completely in to the pot in such a way that it becomes bulging. At this stage, you should normally prefer re-potting an orchid.Once the flowers start finishing, the plant also begins looking daggy with its loosing lustre appearance. It is the best time to re-pot and divide the orchids. Generally, it happens during the months of October and November and therefore you should better be prepared for such an action.

Repot Orchid
Questions & Answers (Q&A)

Orchids are not delicate plants and can easily tolerate a little rough treatment. When re-potting an orchid you may jolt and thump the pot on all sides. This way it becomes easier to remove the plant out of the pot. You can easily pull out the plant.

Once the plant is out off the pot, you would require some gardening tools like a spade, an axe, and a sharp garden knife. You also need a little muscle power at the same time. Split the pulled out orchid plant in to three or four pieces. Ensure that each piece is perfectly all right and complete. These separated pieces are now fit to re-pot in a fresh pot or a suitable container.

You should put the divided piece of the orchid in the pot and then backfill. Examine the roots carefully and ensure that these are not wet at the time of re-potting. It is essential otherwise; the roots have risk to get rot. I would suggest that you must prefer using an open potting mix with big lumpy pieces of bark to support the plant with healthy growing medium.

It is equally important to keep the bulbs stand on the top of the pot and not planted deeper. You may add a little fertilizer also. Once you have completed re-potting you should water the pot so that roots will recover by themselves. Put the orchid pot at a suitable place and just wait for its wonderful flowers bloom.


Repot Orchid Pictures

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Repot Orchid Videos

Orchid Care Repotting
How to Care for an Orchid Plant: Basic Advice for Beginners : Repotting an Orchid: Plant Care Tips
How to Care for an Orchid Plant: Basic Advice for Beginners : Repotting an Orchid: Plant Care Tips
OrchidWeb - Repotting Tutorial # 1 (Paphs and Phrags)


Repot Orchid Question & Answers

Repot Orchid Question: 1


how do i repot an orchid?

I got an orchid as a gift, but don't know how to care for it.I would like to put it in a new pot. anyone know how to repot and keep it blooming.

Answer:
The pot should be medium-sized. A "Magic Moment" phalaenopsis.... Fill the pot about two thirds of the way with soil; don't pack it hard. The pot should be very well drained, and they grow best in fir bark mixtures. Make some space in the center for the bulk of the roots. Soak the soil. When removing the Phalaenopsis from it's old pot, carefully place the fingers of your left hand around the base of the stem and gently turn the pot upside down with the your right. You should now be holding the plant upside down in you left hand, with roots and soil exposed. If the roots have grown together tightly, gently break the smaller ones apart with your right hand. Remove as much of the old soil from the roots as is possible, but be especially gentle with the green tips. Next, transfer the Phalaenopsis to the new pot, carefully pushing it into the soil until the base of the stem is level with the edge of the pot. Fill around the upper roots with more soil, gently tamping with a couple fingers, until the soil is close to level with the edge of the pot. Phalaenopsis need indirect sunlight, and strong drainage. DON'T overwater, or you'll end up with root rot. Also, don't expose it to direct sunlight, or it will burn. If you want it to bloom again once the first flowers have faded, cut the flower spike off, and the plant will be more likely to produce another.

Repot Orchid Question: 2


Should I repot my orchid?

My orchid is in a clear plastic pot and the roots look healthy but 'squashed'. Do I repot it? I tried repotting the last orchid I had and it died, so I am a little reticent in case I do the same again!

Answer:
Checkout http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/orchid_gardening/18463

Repot Orchid Question: 3


When is it a good time to repot an orchid?

It still has a flower on it but its begining to go brown.The pot is too small I think and the outer pot is broken.

Answer:
Typically you will see roots trying to climb out of the pot, or the pseudo bulbs will be very compacted or for dendrobiums Kekis start poppin up. Or when you press down on the bark/moss mix it doesnt compress at all...or when your pot breaks. Take a moment to look a the roots and see if any look black and are smelly...if so then using a sterile sharp knife remove these and repot. I am sure the American orchid society can give much more detailed advice and there are many many local chapters that meet regularly and hold work shops etc...

Repot Orchid Question: 4


The best way to repot an orchid?

I was given an orchid as a house warming present a few years ago and last year after it had flowered the second stem seemed to die, it has turned brown and stick like! however the other stem is stil growing and producing new shoots. There is some roots on the surface of the pot and they look a bit dry and frazzled are they the 2nd stems roots? and if so will replanting the whole thing be best or should i trim back all the 'dead' stem and start again. I don't really have green fingers, but i did buy specialised compost and bigger pots for it. Thanks

Answer:
i had the same problem last summer. i didn't do anything, didn't repot. just kept watering once a week. (and i had only one stem and had to cut if off because it became stick like, like yours) now there is a stem growing and i expect it to flower this spring. so don't get all your hopes down. orchids are great flowers :)))

Repot Orchid Question: 5


When do I repot my Cattleya Orchid?

I'm a newbie to the wonderful world of Orchids and recently, I purchased a small Cattleya from a local flower store. It was not in bloom and was packaged in netting hanging from a peg on a display stand. The leaves are making it very top heavy and it will not stand upright in the plastic pot that it was packaged with. My question is, do I try to stand the pot up somehow or does it sound like it is ready for a new pot?

Answer:
Often orchids get tippy in pots... tends to be their nature. They need repotted about every 2-3 years, not due to pot size but because you odn't want the soil breaking down to fine. Orchid soil should be thick, chucky and well draining much like beauty bark almost. Chances are if you just bought it, it doesn't need repotted. My suggestion would be to find a nice heavy ceramic pot that the smaller plastic pot can sit/nest in, or go to a garden store and they sell orchid pots that are heavier ceramic (but about the same size as you probably currently have) that you could transplant it too for more stability. or you can prop your current pot up.

Repot Orchid Question: 6


Repot an Orchid?

I need to repot one of my Orchids.Can you use a solid brass pot? Yes, it has lots of drainage,but I can't find anything on repotting in a metal container.What about copper?Think the tarnishing will hurt it? Thanks,and my Orchid thanks you too.

Answer:
Do not use metal pots. Brass contains copper, and copper can (and will) burn roots. If you use the brass pot as an outer, ornamental, container, make sure it has a drain hole. The #1 killer of orchids by amateurs is Too Much Water. First: 1) Get some media that is like the media that the plant is already potted in. Go to a nursery, they should have what you need. You can also google the Genus/species of orchid you have to see is it was originally potted correctly. Also, make sure you same the little nametag, so in 3 years you will know what plant you have. 2) Pre-water the new media. Get it wet, let it drain for a few minutes. 3) Choose the proper pot, most times it should be at least one size larger than the previous pot. I generally fill the lower 1/4 of the pot with styrofoam peanuts, and place a thin layer of media above this. Orchid roots need to breath, and this prevents the bottom of the pot from compacting. Second: 1) De--pot the plant, discard the old media (I depot over a plastic dishpan to prevent a mess). Hold orchid by its base, then invert pot. 2) Attend to the roots! Look closely at the roots and the root crown (where all roots originate from). Living healthy roots are fat and greenish or whitish. Dead roots are stringy (or alternating fat and stringy) and an earthy brown colour. CUT off all dead roots as far up into the crown as you can. (These are dead and will rot. The rotting can make its way into the crown, then the whole plant dies). You can also remove dead back-bulbs, stems etc. just make sure they are dead (brownish, soft.) 3) Leave the healthy roots alone. DO NOT prune them! Re-pot. 1) Orchid type sphagnum moss. Wrap the roots (LOOSELY) in several layers of wetted sphagnum moss. Make the final ball slightly larger than the pot, and squeeze it into the pot. 2) Loose media (fir bark, small lave rock, corks, ceramic pellets, soil). One can cove the styrofoam peanuts with a layer of burlap or sphagnum moss to keep media out from among the styrofoam. Put a layer of media into pot, enough so that the root crown of the orchid would be 1/2 inch or so below the pot rim. Hold orchid in that position and spoon (I use tea and table spoons) media into the pot. Work media among the roots by shaking the pot (hold onto the orchid) or press it firmly into place using a chopstick. Continue until all roots below the crown are covered. Following potting, I water thoroughly with a weak solution of Superthrive. Good Luck

Repot Orchid Question: 7


I have an Orchid in a pot without holes. Do I repot it now or after the blooms are gone?

I just received this Moth Orchid for Mother's day. I just read on another web site that it should be in a pot with drainage holes. I have really great blooms on it right now, but I am concerned because I watered it about three weeks ago and the medium is still quite moist. I don't want to drown the poor thing, but I don't want to send it into shock, either, by transplanting it. What is the best thing to do?

Answer:
please do not repot this plant as yet wait until it has bloom all the way...when its done you have to buy a pot just for Orchids and there is soil for Orchids that is not soil its like pebbles,this is why I say to wait,,and dont over water it else all the flowers will fall off.right now keep it in a bright place like near a window that does not get too much sun,and water it only when it needs it ok good luck..

Repot Orchid Question: 8


I have an orchid stalk that is dark pink w/ 15 flowers can i repot it and cont. to grow it?

the orchid stalk is cut. i did not get it in a flower pot. it is a cymbidium.

Answer:
leave alone don't shock it by transplantng until after it blooms unless you don't want the bloom

Repot Orchid Question: 9


Mushroom like fungus growing from my phalaenopsis orchid???

There are lots of thin, mushroom like things growing in the pot with my phalaenopsis orchid. I pull them out whenever I find one. They are never too far below the surface of the moss and seem to either be growing out of the moss or out of the orchid bark, and the "root" area is like a little white fuzzball, almost like mold or something. Any ideas? Should I repot the orchid right away? I've been raising orchids for almost 5 years now, and I've had this particular one for almost 4 years; I've never seen anything like this before.... thanks for any help!

Answer:
Probably more Phalaenopsis are lost to pseudomonas, a bacterial disease, than to any other disease. The reason? Most hobby growers and some commercial growers use a fungicide when the disease is bacterial. Neem oil, Physan 20 or RD20 is a good control for bacteria as well as for fungus. Pseudomonas is very infectious and can be spread even by splashing water. All suspect plants should be treated . If the diseased area of the leaf is spreading, cut the area back 1/2 inch into the non-affected area. The whole leaf may need to be removed. Be sure to spray the entire plant with neem oil, Physan 20 or RD20, especially the cut area, as well as all plants that were near the diseased plant. Fungus:The best prevention for fungal disease problems is a combination of: a.good air movement; b.keeping temperatures in an acceptable range; and c.making sure plants (not potting medium) are dry before nightfall. If plants are not dry in late afternoon, spray the leaves with 2 teaspoons Physan or RD20 mixed in one gallon of water. This should dry the leaves and sterilize the plants. The above care should eliminate fungus problems. IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE POT DO THIS Repotting Spray. In our greenhouses we use the following mixture to thoroughly spray the complete plant, especially the roots and any cut areas. Use it to spray the entire plant after removing it from the pot, and when repotting is complete to sterilize, give the plant a boost and to help prevent transplant shock. We use the repot spray first, and follow up by spraying with Neem oil solution. Add to one gallon of water: 2 teaspoons Physan 20 or RD20 1 teaspoon water-soluble fertilizer 1/2 teaspoon SuperThrive

Repot Orchid Question: 10


How should I take care of my orchid?

I just bought an orchid (phaleanopsis). It had 4 blossomed flowers and about 12 bulbs. When it got home immediately 4 bulbs fell. The next day, one of the flowers died, a second one follows, and 4 more bulbs fell. The leaves seem really healthy. They told me that orchids should be watered once a week. I would like to know how to keep my orchid healthy and how can a "revive it". Should I repot it? Change the "soil"? Add fertilizer?

Answer:
It needs to be placed in a location that has bright indirect light and fluctuating day and night temps. Warm days cool nights. You will need to check the potting compound to make sure it is not dried out or waterlogged. Sometimes I have to water mine two to three times a week depending on the amount of sun and heating during the day. I have mine in a southfacing bathroom that gets bright filtered light thru the shades. There is also a lot of humidity in the room from the shower and baths. I have included a site that you may find useful. Good luck with your orchid. http://www.orchidweb.com/phalcare.aspx

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