How to pot/repot an Orchid

I sent my mom an Orchid for her birthday in January. She loves it. Like most people who acquire an orchid for the first time, she has concerns on watering, planting and feeding. Worries all new orchid owners go through. So, since her orchid will need to be repotted soon, I wanted to put this on my blog so she can follow along.

As many of you know, I love Orchids. I have 11 of them. No, I now have 14. I just bought 3 more today. Many people think orchids are hard to grow. They’re not. Orchids just have a different set of cultural needs. Like any other type of plants, orchids need water, fertilizer, light and air. Orchids adapt well to the environment of the average home. Like nighttime temperatures of 60 to 65°F and daytime temperatures 75 to 85°F. Easy.

Phalaenopsis are among the easiest and most rewarding orchids to grow. I have 7 of those. It’s also the one I sent to my mom. I have 4 Cattleyas, 1 Dendrobium, 1 Randianum and 1 Cymbidium. Each one beautiful in its own way.

Below I have a photo series on how to pot/repot an orchid. I bought 3 Cattleyas this morning and thought this was the perfect opportunity to share how the potting process should go.

First and foremost – IF you have an orchid with a spike (getting ready to produce blooms) or in bloom, you should wait until all the blooms fall off. Some say it’s alright to do this, depending on the condition of the plant, others not. I prefer not. The plant may go in shock and the spike may not produce those blooms, or the blooms may fall off as buds.

What you’re going to need are these three items (purchased at Lowes or Home Depot):

And they are:

Orchid Bloom Booster – a fertilizer.

Orchid Mix – potting mix, referred to as “medium”, specially made for orchids. NEVER place orchids in potting soil; it’s not their nature to grow in potting soil. Their roots need to breath, and drain water well. VERY well. This is why they make these:

Orchid pots. Lowes and Home Depot have them, or you can order larger ones on line.

These are my babies I bought today.

Like all orchids you buy, or have delivered, they are in these type of containers. Not the best for orchids.

You’ll need to take them out of their pots they come in, and gently clear off all the medium away from the roots.

Be very careful not to break any of the roots on the orchid.

Once that is done, check over the root system to see if there are any dead roots. These would be dark brown or dry and brittle grey.

If you find any dark brown or dry brittle gray roots, you’ll need to trim them off. Hollow or mushy roots to the touch are considered dead and can be trimmed off.

Never cut any thick, strong or green looking roots. Orchids may have a couple of different color roots on them. Be careful not to over clip!

Once I’m done clipping the roots, I place the orchid in a bowl of water and gently swirl it around.

I will leave the orchid in the water while I get the pot ready.

Place some orchid medium in the pot, about half full. Depending on the size of your pot and your root system on your orchid, you’ll want to leave enough room for the plant to rest in lightly.

Gently place the orchid in the pot and hold while you add medium around the roots.

Gently tap on the sides of the pot so the medium can settle in between the roots as well. Make sure the orchid feels firm in the pot. DO NOT PUSH DOWN ON THE MEDIUM IN THE POT like you would planting flowers. Orchids are too delicate and the roots will be just fine with them loosely in the pot with the medium.

The finished product. (Note my cat, Nell, exploring the pot in the background! She’s such a nosey little booger! She ALWAYS has to help out in every single thing I do!)

Once the orchid is potted, it needs to be watered. I always fertilize them after I repot them. I use cool water.

I fill my sink about ¼ of the way. Depending on the size of your pots, it should be about ½ way up the side of the pot. The BEST water for orchids is rain water or distilled water. But, since I'm out of distilled water and my bucket of rainwater I had out in the courtyard was dumped out by my sweet son to go wash his car, sink water will do for now.

I add 1 teaspoon of fertilizer and place it in the sink and swirl it around.

Then I place my pots in the water.

And take a small bowl or cup and pour water from the sink over the orchids carefully not to spash on the leaves.

After I pull the plug, I let them sit in the sink for a few minutes to make sure the water drains well from the pots.

And drain excessive water before I place them on my table.

I water my larger pots once a week, the smaller ones 2 times. Really, it’s best to feel the medium to see if they need watering. Orchids are impossible to put on a ‘watering schedule.’ If the weather is cool – watering often will kill it because the medium is still moist. In the summer months, you’ll need to check almost every day, as they may need watering 3 – 4 times a week.

Now, each and every one of you go buy yourself a beautiful orchid and enjoy it!