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When should I repot my Phalaenopsis orchid?
It’s best to repot Phalaenopsis orchids in either the spring or the fall, especially if you take them outdoors for the summer. If your plant hasn’t bloomed in a few years, Phalaenopsis orchid repotting is best performed in the spring.
What kind of soil do Phalaenopsis orchids need?
Instead of regular soil, they need potting material that mimics a host tree or comes from a tree, such as ground fir tree bark, redwood bark chips, or Monterey pine bark chips. Most bark potting media will work.
Should Phalaenopsis orchids be repotted?
As a general rule of thumb, Phalaenopsis orchids should be repotted every one to two years, but there are times when you might need to repot your orchid sooner. Inspect your orchid plant periodically. Look carefully at the texture of the potting medium.
How do you repot an orchid for beginners?
Step 1: Prepare your materials. Step 2: Remove the orchid from its current pot. Step 3: Clean up the roots. Step 4: Place the orchid in its new pot. Step 5: Add potting mix. Step 6: Stake your orchid.
How do you know when an orchid needs repotting?
An Orchid FAQ: How to Repot Orchids should be repotted when new; every year or two; or when crowded roots push up and out of the pot. Fresh bark mix is chunky and loose; decomposed mix fills in the air pockets that orchid roots need. Healthy orchid roots are white; pale green tips indicate new growth.
Do Phalaenopsis orchids like to be root bound?
Phalaenopsis orchid roots need to be compacted and compressed inside their pot, and unlike other household plants, Phalaenopsis actually enjoy being root bound.
How do you make Phalaenopsis potting mix?
Botanists of the Texas A&M University recommend this Moth Orchid potting mix: 80% fir bark and 20% coarse sphagnum peat. Horticulturists from the University of Tennessee, on the other hand, recommend THIS Moth Orchid potting mix: 3 parts fir bark, 1 part perlite and 1 part chopped sphagnum moss.
Can you use regular potting soil 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.
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 Phalaenopsis orchids need soil?
Natural Habitat. While terrestrial orchids grow in the ground, Phalaenopsis orchids are epiphytes, which means they attach their roots to other plants rather than growing in dirt. They need a similar set-up in a home garden — and that means no dirt.
What to do with Phalaenopsis after it blooms?
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.
What is the best potting mix for orchids?
Texas A&M University botanists, however, say their Phalaenopsis orchids thrive best in a potting mix that is 80% fir bark and 20% coarse sphagnum peat.
What kind of soil does an orchid need?
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.
What is the best way to transplant an orchid?
How to repot orchids: Choose the right medium. Remove orchid from current container and trim dead roots from the plant. Fill container to one third full with orchid mix. Position single stem plants in the center of the new pot. Gently cover roots with additional mix and fill pot to 1/2 inch below rim. Water thoroughly.
Do orchids like tight pots?
Orchids like to be snug in their pot and the ratio of roots to potting mix should be about equal. Instead of growing more roots to fill the space the roots stay wet, the potting mix stays soggy, and the health of the orchid deteriorates.
What do unhealthy orchid roots look like?
Unhealthy Orchid Roots Rotted roots are easily identified because they are brown, mushy and hollow. Brittle roots indicated under-watering. If the plant is still alive, but the roots have all died and turned to mush, the plant may still be saved.
Should I cut yellow leaves off orchid?
If one or two leaves on the bottom of your orchid plant turn yellow, let it continue to do so. Don’t remove them from the plant yourself! Some people remove them because the look of yellow leaves is unsightly. Manually removing the leaves from your plant increases the risk of diseases.
Do orchid roots like to be crowded?
Like Goldilocks, orchids like things “just right.” While orchids love being a little crowded in their pots, every year or two it’s time to re-pot. Just as an orchid won’t perform at their best if their pot is over-crowded, a too-large pot will also inhibit flowering.
Should orchid roots be tightly packed?
Growing a strong orchid that will rebloom requires growing a strong root system. Many Phalaenopsis are sold potted in Sphagnum moss and often times the moss is very tightly packed around the roots to help the plants hold moisture as they are transported for sale.
How do you make homemade orchid mix?
Steps: Using a measuring jar, take four parts of fine fir bark, fine-grade coco chips, and redwood bark in a container. Add one part fine charcoal and one part perlite to the container. Mix until you obtain a mix of uniform consistency. That’s it! Your potting mix is ready for use!.
What is in orchid potting mix?
Most mixes contain fir bark, perlite, charcoal, and sometimes some peat moss and are suitable for most orchids.
