How and why should I repot a Phalaenopsis orchid? Can I repot in universal potting soil? Repotting an orchid is really easy, and should not be avoided if the plant is not doing well or is no longer flowering.
How to repot orchids?
1 – Carefully remove the plant from its pot. Unfortunately, it is sometimes necessary to break the roots which emerge from the underside of the pot.
Using your fingers, remove the substrate around the roots and loosen the root bun.
2 – Next, cut off any dry or damaged roots with scissors.
3 – I also cut off old, deflowered stems
4 – Wash the pot before repotting if it is soiled, for example by moss. Prefer a transparent pot so that the roots can receive light and also so that you can observe what’s going on in the pot and know when to treat or repot.
5 – Then I put the plant back in its pot, followed by the potting soil.
I use half commercial orchid potting soil/half large pieces of the old potting soil. I find that commercial potting soil is often too fine. Orchids don’t need soil, just a support on which to cling and draw nutrients. Potting soils that are too thin retain too much moisture.
I tap the pot on the table to lower the potting soil to the bottom of the pot. For this “maneuver”, if the potting soil is wet (as is generally recommended), it won’t sink. I don’t use any tools (sticks or forks) to put the compost in, so as not to damage the roots.
When should I repot?
When roots get in the way
When a plant is too tightly packed in its pot, it stops flowering. The roots suffocate or rot because of the humidity, and the plant can no longer take in food. Repotting brings air between the roots and water (and therefore food) circulates better.
When the plant is askew in its pot
The natural habit of a tree-grown orchid is not the same as that of a pot-grown orchid. Stakes force the plant and flower stem to stand upright. But, if it’s happy, the orchid will grow a lot and take on a drooping habit. This is not practical if you want to keep the plant in a pot. When repotting, you can use stakes to straighten the plant’s habit a little.
When the plant has not flowered for a long time
There can be many reasons why an orchid refuses to bloom again. If you think you’ve given it everything it needs in the way of food, light and water, and it still won’t flower, it may need repotting.
When moss grows in the pot
If you water too much, if the plant is placed in a dark place or if the roots are too tight, sometimes moss develops in the pot. Repotting is urgently needed!
Which potting soil to choose?
A breeding ground for trade
Commercial orchid potting soil is generally satisfactory. If it’s too fine, you can add the largest pieces of bark from the old potting soil.
Homemade potting soil
You can make potting soil for orchids from a mixture of pine bark or other bark, broken walnut shells, a little sphagnum moss or perlite, polystyrene beads… The aim is to create a medium that will absorb water and fertilizer and to which the orchid’s roots can attach themselves.
Can orchids be repotted in universal potting soil?
Universal potting soil is soil. Orchid potting soil is more like a support with small pieces of wood, pine bark and sometimes a water-retaining material like sphagnum moss. Orchid roots would rot in universal potting soil. They need air and light. So don’t repot in universal potting soil.
