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Orchids generally need to be repotted once a year. The best time to repot is just after flowering, or when new growth appears. You’ll know it’s time to repot if any of these reasons apply to you: Your orchid has tightly tangled roots.
When should you repot an orchid?
Orchids should be repotted when new; every year or two; or when crowded roots push up and out of the pot. Spring: time for a close-up. Other than watering and occasionally fertilizing them, you probably don’t look closely at your orchids all that often when they’re not in bloom.
What do you do with an orchid after the blooms fall off?
After the flowers drop from the orchid you have three choices: leave the flower spike (or stem) intact, cut it back to a node, or remove it entirely. Remove the flower spike entirely by clipping it off at the base of the plant. This is definitely the route to take if the existing stem starts to turn brown or yellow.
Is it OK to repot orchids during flowering?
For the most part, you should avoid repotting when in bud if it is not necessary. If you repot when your plant is actually blooming, it is normal for the flowers to drop faster than normal, sometimes almost immediately. Only repot when blooming if you feel it is absolutely necessary.
Should you repot orchids when you buy them from the store?
A good rule of thumb is to repot a new orchid as soon as practical after it is purchased. Usually this means when it goes out of bloom. Orchids need to be repotted before their media breaks down and smothers the roots.
Do orchids outgrow their pots?
Cut back any rotted or dead roots and follow the repotting instructions below. Moth orchids can outgrow their pots in about a year’s time as their wandering roots reach outside and above the edge of the containers. Mature plants usually flower from late winter into spring and their blossoms can last for several months.
Can I repot an orchid in regular potting soil?
Many orchids used as house plants are epiphytic, rather than terrestrial, meaning they don’t grow in soil. These types of orchids will die if you repot them in regular potting soil. Many orchids grow well in sphagnum moss, orchid bark, or a bark mixture.
What potting mix do I use for orchids?
Every orchid grower seems to have his own ideas about what makes the perfect orchid potting mix. For example, horticulturalists at the University of Tennessee recommend a Phalaenopsis potting mix that is 3 parts fir bark, 1 part perlite and 1 part chopped sphagnum moss.
What type of soil is best for orchids?
Depending on the type of orchid, they can be happy growing in peat moss, fir bark, dried fern roots, sphagnum moss, rock wool, perlite, cork nuggets, stones, coconut fiber, lava rock or a blend that combines several of these materials.
How do you get an orchid to bloom again?
Follow these simple steps to help reblooming begin. Continue to water your orchid with 3 ice cubes once a week. Fertilize your orchid once or twice a month using a balanced houseplant fertilizer at half strength. Help your orchids grow by providing plenty of indirect sunlight. Put your orchid in a cooler spot at night.
Do you water an orchid after the flowers fall off?
During their post-flowering rest period, reduce watering. If you overwater these varieties, they may rot and die. Phalaenopsis and Vanda orchids don’t have pseudobulbs to store water, so you should water them thoroughly when the potting mix is nearly dry to keep them from completely drying out.
How long does it take an orchid to rebloom?
It takes a month or two, or even several months for Phalaenopsis orchids to rebloom. Many other varieties of orchids bloom annually.
Can you repot Phalaenopsis in bloom?
While spring and fall are the best times for transplanting orchids, you can also repot moth orchids in the summer, as long as you make sure the plant gets enough water during this peak growing season. The only time you do not want to repot a Phalaenopsis orchid is when the plant is in bloom.
Should I repot plants after buying?
You shouldn’t repot a plant right after you get it. Instead, give it a few days or weeks to acclimate to your home.
What do you do with store bought orchids?
When purchasing your orchid, ask the store to wrap the plant to protect it from temperature extremes once it leaves the store. Bring the plants home as soon as you are able. Once at home, keep the orchid at 60-65⁰F at night and 70-85⁰F during the day.
How do you keep store bought orchids alive?
6 Easy Ways To Keep Your Orchids Alive Make Sure It’s Getting The Right Kind Of Light. Advertisement. Water Them Right. The way you water an orchid is a crucial part of orchid care. Keep Them In A Warmer Room. Cut Blooms That Have Died. Feed Your Plants. Don’t Pot Orchids In Soil.
Do orchids keep growing?
Dormancy. Many orchids need a period of dormancy—or rest—generally in winter. During this time, when you should reduce or stop fertilizing, plants strengthen their root systems, grow leaves, and stockpile energy for their next growth spurt and bloom. Typically, an orchid can rebloom every 8 to 12 months.
Do orchids like being root bound?
Although orchids enjoy being root-bound, they’ll need to be repotted when the potting mix has broken down, usually every two years. Choose a time after the orchid has finished blooming; flowers could fall because of the stress of repotting. The pot should just accommodate the root mass.
Can I use normal potting mix for orchids?
Gardeners new to orchid growing soon realize that healthy orchids don’t grow in regular potting soil. It’s too dense, doesn’t drain thoroughly enough, and most orchids actually grow in the air—the medium is just there to give the roots something to cling to.
