Missing the "re-potting" step can destroy your plants. After buying an orchid, the next few weeks are crucial for its development so the more favorable conditions you can create around the orchid the sooner it is going to adapt to the new growing environment and notable set-back will be less likely to occur.
Why do we need to re-pot phalaenopsis orchids?
Let us assume you just bought a new phalaenopsis plant. If your orchid is not new, check out this other article to find out how healthy your phalaenopsis is and then decide on whether it needs re-potting. In any case, some of the common problems your new orchid might have include
root rot,
pests, various insects and snails (parasites that feed on your orchid),
chemical imbalance (acidity & PH) in the pot or
growth of bad bacteria and fungi.
Re-potting is a process of replacing the content of the old pot and sterilize the orchid to eliminate the above problems. By default, re-potting is needed every two years or so to keep phalaenopsis healthy. A sick plant might need a more frequent re-potting schedule until it heals. Deciding on not to re-pot your newly bought orchid can kill the plant and also risk other plants being infected if the bacteria and pests spread.
Not all flower shops and plant nurseries can afford to re-pot their phalaenopsis because
most of the time their goal is to mass produce and sell as many blooming phalaenopsis as they can instead of having less but healthier plants. As long as orchids bloom they are good to sell. In the meantime, the plant may already be suffocating in its pot and desperately needs attention;
a common side-effect of re-potting a sick phalaenopsis is to drop its flowers. We cannot stress this enough: flowers do not signal health. A very sick orchid might produce flowers even if it is the last thing it does before dying. Re-potting can direct the orchid's attention back to healing until it is recovered so the next blooming cycle will not kill it; this way the plant will have the appropriate energy reserve to produce flowers. A healthy phalaenopsis is likely to produce more flowers than a sick one because the former has more energy to do that so.
How to save the plant from suffocating?
To understand how can an orchid suffocate in a pot we will have to look at its natural habitat. Phalaenopsis orchids are native to tropical forests and they grow on trees. Phalaenopsis does not hurt the tree it lives on; and in fact, no other type of orchid does. Orchids are not parasites and the growing conditions are good on trees in tropical forests so that is why they can be found there.
With its roots, phalaenopsis draws water and nutrients from the air (these kind of plants are referred to as "epiphyte"). On the tree, its roots are in a well ventilated place and the whole plant can transform (sun)light into energy ("photosinthesis" process) which can be used as fuel for the plant to live. That is why, roots of phalaenopsis that are exposed to light turn green as they photosynthesize. The tree shades the plant so it only gets bright shade instead of direct sunlight.
If phalaenopsis plants live on trees what is the purpose of flower pot and potting media?
Convenience. Pots limit the area of root growth which keeps them compact and it helps to keep the orchid standing so we can easily display it as a houseplant. Now we know why re-potting is crucial, let us review how it is done.
How to re-pot phalaenopsis orchids
The below guide is broken down into three key pieces. I recommend you read them all before starting the process of re-potting so then you can make informed decisions about the future of your orchid and influence the well-being of your plant accordingly.
I. You will need the following to re-pot one phalaenopsis orchid:
orchid friendly plant sterilizer to remove bad bacteria; I recommend to visit your local pharmacy or hair salon and ask for a bottle of "hidrogen peroxide 3%", about 1 dl (approx. 0.5 cup or 3.4 oz);
either one of the following, approx. 3 litres (13 cup/101 oz): distilled water, rainwater, or if you cannot access these then use room temperature tap water that has been poured at least a few hours ago (quality of tap water varies based on your location but if you leave it "breathe" after pouring out that could help a bit);
a small, clean spray bottle;
potting media: for beginner orchid growers I recommend wooden bark and for mini phalaenopsis you will need smaller bark chips;
a flat plastic or metal, waterproof surface on which the operation can be carried out;
orchid pot (you can re-use the current pot the orchid is in as long as it is not broken and sterilized);
scissors to help removing dead orchid tissue;
ground cinnamon (optional);
a small bowl to soak the orchid in;
a medium sized cooking pot (optional);
cotton buds (optional);
gloves (optional but recommended).
II. Steps to re-pot phalaenopsis:
Put on gloves (optional), sanitize your tools and hands with hidrogen peroxide 3% (fill the spray bottle with hidrogen peroxide then spray it on the roots; leave it & let is sizzle 2-3 minutes).
Cut off the flower spike above the first knot (also referred to as node) and apply cinnamon only on the wound to disinfect & seal the place where you did cut the plant.
Soak the orchid for 20 minutes in water you bought/prepared in advance (for preparing water, see list of tools detailed above).
Gently remove the orchid from water then its pot and rinse it.
With the scissors, cut off only dead (mushy, soft and soggy) parts of the roots.
Sanitize your tools and rinse the plant.
Remove any water from between the leaves and the crown with a cotton bud or other sterile cotton or fabric. You might need to shape the cotton with your fingers to fit into the tiny wholes between the leaves. Make sure no cotton is stuck in between the leaves after this step. If you miss removing water from crown and base of leaves the plant may die in a couple of days.
If you have very little or very short roots left (approx. less than 3 roots with length of 3cm, 1.2 inches or less on a normal - not mini - phalaenopsis) stop re-potting and try semi-hidro method to grow roots first.
(optional step, see further advice below) If this step is not applied properly it can cause serious damage. Seal the wounds of roots with cinnamon without any other parts of the orchid touching cinnamon.
Sanitize the potting media (e.g. measure 1 pot of bark, boil it in water then drain and let it cool).
Sanitize the flower pot (e.g. wash it with dishwasher liquid, rinse it very well then apply hidrogen peroxide 3% and let it dry).
Let the orchid dry for 2-4 hours.
Put some potting media into the pot to cover approx. 1/5th of the pot vertically from the bottom. This will serve as a drainage layer. Place the orchid into the pot then fill the pot with potting media around the roots. Make sure the main stem is not covered with the media so you can see the topmost roots.
The plant should not be watered for about 1-2 weeks after re-potting to make sure wounds on roots are sealed and healed; otherwise with water these wounds often get infected that causes root rot which endangers the entire root system.
Choose a place for the plant in your home, place it there then only move it if that is absolutely necessary. The best place will have bright shade. See list of ideal growing conditions here.
On these pictures, note the water level (water should not reach the leaves); only dead roots (mushy, not firm, neither yellow nor green) are cut off; topmost roots are not covered with bark
III. Further recommendations
General advice:
Do not to let water stay in between the leaves and the crown. We only need to soak the roots so it will be easier to take the orchid out of its old pot. If any water entered the space between the leaves then take the orchid out of the water and turn it upside down so water can flow away. It is also recommended to take a piece of sterile cotton e.g. cotton bud, fluff up one end of it, shape it to a sharp form with your fingers then gently put it in between leaves so the cotton can absorb any water. This area of the orchid is very sensitive so make sure no water stay in it at any given time;
If you are afraid you might spill cinnamon on other parts of the plant just skip the application of cinnamon altogether. Cinnamon can destroy healthy roots so we should apply it on the open wounds only. If you accidentally sprinkled cinnamon on the rest of the plant you can rinse it with water then ensure no water is left between the leaves and in the crown;
Gloves can protect your skin as well as the orchid so it is recommended to use them;
This guide is intended for adults only and some aspects of re-pot process (e.g. scissors, tiny potting medium, boiling water, chemicals and bacteria) are not safe for children.
Make sure no water stays in the crown and in holes near the leaves
Roots:
Firm, yellow roots are healthy so do not cut these. the reason they are yellow is that they were not exposed to light in the potting media (click here to see a list of signs of a healthy phalaenopsis here);
Soaking the roots is highly recommended, wet roots are less prone to break;
You can use your fingers to remove any remaining bark (or other type of potting media) from the roots. Put some water on the bark to soften. You may not be able to remove all pieces of bark but the more you can remove without damaging the roots is the better;
Flower spikes & keiki:
If you have many healthy roots and there is no root rot you can either leave on the flower spikes or try and cut them halfway between two nodes that did not flower yet. This way you can try to induce flowering again from the same flower spikes. I would not recommend this practice because this takes up a lot of energy of the plant and can negatively impact the timing of the next flowering cycle after the current flower spikes dry out. By cutting the spike after the first knot (node) we give the orchid rest after the flowering season which is important for the plant's health;
Even though it is rare for phalaenopsis to grow a baby plant, you might find a tiny plant on your orchid that has at least one leaf and root(s) on its own. If that happens, read our phalaenopsis home care article to find out when to separate this baby plant (also known as keiki) from your orchid. Keiki can be found either on flower spike(s) or connected to the base (main stem) of the plant.
If you want to remove a keiki from a healthy phalaenopsis make sure it has enough roots (at least 4 roots) that are long enough (abouyt 10 cm = 4 inches) to support its own structure
If you want to remove a keiki from the flower spike, do not remove the keiki from the flower spike but you will need to cut the flower spike with the keiki on it then plant it together; meaning, fill a pot with bark and on the top put the keiki.
If you want to remove a keiki from the base of the plant, find the one stem below the roots of the keiki that connects it with the mother plant and very carefully cut only that one bridge with sterile scissors. Dip the cut wounds only into cinnamon and plant it
When planting the keiki, do not cover its roots with bark unless it has relatively long roots (about 10 cm = 4 inches) and even then leave a few roots exposed to air only because it will need time to adjust to bark potting media
Keiki on the flower spike of a phalaenopsis
Pot and potting media:
The potting media is not intended to suffocate the orchid, its main purpose is to keep the plant stable in the pot. You can buy additional bamboo sticks and orchid support canes for extra support but even without these you should be able to stabilize the plant;
Choose the right size of potting media based on type of orchid and size of its roots (e.g. choose bigger bark chips for mature phalaenopsis and smaller bark chips for mini phalaenopsis);
The plant might be in two containers when you buy it: a decorative, ceramic container and inside a plastic pot so you will need to remove the plastic pot from the ceramic container then soak it while the plastic pot is not yet removed.
Throw away old bark potting media and do not reuse any of it. Old bark media is likely to have chemical imbalance as well as tendency to suffocate the orchid which can kill the plant over time.
Tools:
Tap water at room temperature can be used for rinsing the orchid, however, for soaking, use water you did prepare in advance (relatively soft water, distilled water, rain water or tab water that was left at room temperature for a few hours to "breathe");
You can use any flat surface as your workplace for re-potting as long as it is waterproof and you can sterilize it properly.
How to care for phalaenopsis after re-potting? Consider our phalaenopsis home care guidelines to keep your plant healthy.
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