Orchid Care: Re-potting and Re-planting

How to re-pot a phalaenopsis orchid successfully

Phalaenopsis orchids, like other house plants, need to be re-potted. While it seems that the plants may be too fragile to re-plant, doing so can reap tremendous rewards, in terms of greener leaves and increased blossom size.

Maybe it seems that your Phalaenopsis orchid is not doing well. Perhaps the medium in which it has rooted has lost some of its nutritional value, in spite of the fact that you have been giving the plant orchid fertilizer, faithfully. You might be wondering what you are doing wrong, when you are not doing anything wrong. You orchid simply needs to be re-potted.

Or, perhaps you cannot get your Phalaenopsis orchid to blossom, even though you have other flowers that are blossoming. Ask yourself, how long it has been since it blossomed. If it has been a long time, think seriously about re-potting your orchid, immediately. Do not be afraid to do a re-potting, as it is easy.

Here are guidelines for re-potting a Phalaenopsis orchid successfully:

Place the orchid that you want to re-pot on a large, flat container, while you assemble everything you need for re-potting. If you do not have one, use a large sheet of plastic, as re-potting any plant can be messy. This will save you clean-up time.

You are going to need a new flower pot or planter, garden shears or scissors and a medium in which to plant your Phalaenopsis orchid, as well stones or small rocks, orchid fertilizer and a watering can.

There are many different kinds of planters that are available. Find one that will drain well, as the Phalaenopsis orchid likes to have dry feet. In their own, natural environment, orchids grow on tree trunks or branches.

Orchids thrive in areas of relatively high humidity, like the rain forests of South America. 

So, if your home does not have high humidity, leaving some water in the bottom of the container under the new planter, may be a good idea. Find a container that you can set your new planter in, after your orchid has been re-potted. Otherwise, letting a planter stand in water is not a good idea, as standing water can turn stagnant. Put stones or small rocks in the bottom of the new planter, as well as in the container that it will be placed in, so that the new planter will be on stones, not left standing in water.

Stones in the bottom of your new planter will allow aeration. The roots will grow around them and out the bottom of the planter. You can always trim these roots back, at any time. If you are able to find a planter that has a number of openings in the side that may be even better, as the orchid will do well in that type of a container.

You will need some kind of a medium, in which to plant the Phalaenopsis orchid, preferably moss or tree bark. You can find this in a woodland area or purchase it at a greenhouse, market or outdoor gardening center. In a natural wilderness environment, you may be able to find large pieces of bark that have fallen off trees, as well as dried or partially dried, moss. Wood chips will suffice as a medium, particularly ones that have been drying for some time. If you are concerned that the medium of your choice might have some ants or bugs, you may heat it in a hot, outdoor oven for a while, as this will sterilize the medium and eliminate any insects.

Note that in the jungles of South America, the Phalaenopsis orchids are accustomed to being cross-pollinated by insects including bees. Cross pollination is essential for the orchids to bloom.

Do not re-plant a Phalaenopsis orchid while it is in blossom, as moving it will cause the flowers to fall off, within a day or so. Wait until the plant finishes blossoming, before you attempt to re-pot it. If there is a new leaf coming out at the center of the plant, you may still re-pot the orchid, at that time.

When you are ready to begin the re-potting, first remove brown or dry leaves. There is no reason to leave these intact. In fact, the plant will be healthier, if you do cut off the extra leaves that are feeding on the medium and robbing the plant of its nutrition.

Hold your orchid carefully and gently remove it from the old container. You can use garden shears or an old pair of scissors to trim or remove long roots that have grown outside the pot or have become unattractive. You may find a large number of these.

Recognizing a root, as a root and not a flower stem is important. The roots have a greenish-gray color and a dark green tip, while the flower stems are a reddish-green color. The roots tend to grow outward and downward, while the stems will grow upward towards the light. They break easily, so if you have to re-pot an orchid that is on the verge of blossoming or is in bloom, handle it carefully. Be aware that if a blossom stem does break off, the plant may still re-blossom, but it could take a long time. Trim the broken stem to approximately three inches in length.

Once you have removed the Phalaenopsis orchid from its old container, you will see how pot bound it has become, whether it has been rooted in moss or tree bark. Like any other plant, the roots need to breathe, so loosen the tightly bound roots and trim off excess roots. If the root is larger than you expected, you may need a larger planter than you had anticipated.

Take the plant that has been trimmed and carefully place it on bark or moss, on top of the rocks, in the bottom of the new planter. You may also add several pieces of charcoal. Hold the plant erect in the planter and place new moss or pieces of bark around the roots, until the new flowerpot is full. Do not worry about exposing part of the root above the bark or the moss. The plant will gradually stabilize itself, as it begins to adjust to its new container.

Remember that when you re-pot any orchid, at first, it is going to show signs of stress. Do not be alarmed, if a leaf begins to turn brown and falls off, within the next few days. The plant will only keep as many leaves as it needs to maintain itself in terms of its balance and nutrition.

Re-potting a Phalaenopsis orchid may appear to put the plant into a state of temporary imbalance or shock. But, if you have been tending a plant that has a whole collection of leaves and no flowers, there may have been a problem with respect to the number of leaves. Most healthy plants have only about four to five leaves at a time, so do not panic, if one does fall off.

When the re-potting has been completed, set the Phalaenopsis orchid that you have put in the new planter, on top of the stones that you placed in the second container. Set it in an area where there is filtered light. For example, putting it behind a sheer drape, by a window facing towards the east, is an excellent place for the Phalaenopsis orchid to grow. Make certain that you put it some place where you will not have to move or disturb it all of the time.

Water the plant, but do not use too much water. The water should stand for twenty four hours and be at room temperature prior to watering, so that any chlorine in the water has dissipated. Your plant may also benefit and thrive from rainwater.

Sometimes orchids do better if they are ignored, although we all love to nurse our plants. Do not over-tend your Phalaenopsis orchid, as it is accustomed to growing in total wilderness, not to continual attention and touching by human hands.

Fertilize the Phalaenopsis orchid every four to six weeks. Over-fertilization or over-watering, may do more harm than good. When you first re-plant the Phalaenopsis orchid is a good time to give it orchid fertilizer. Then, allow it to rest.

A good rule of thumb is to water the Phalaenopsis orchid on the same day, every week. Fertilizing it at the same time each month, will help you to remember when your plant needs to be fertilized. Keeping a diary may be a good idea. Make certain that the orchid fertilizer that you use is one recommended for orchids. The concentration of the fertilizer should be in the correct ratio for the growth of flowers, leaves and roots. 

Do not expect your Phalaenopsis orchid to blossom immediately after re-potting. Allow it time to adjust to its new planter. 

You will be pleasantly surprised when you see how much healthier your orchid looks after it has been re-potted. You will find that the leaves are much greener, too. Your flower size will increase, as newly re-potted plants thrive. Your efforts will be rewarded, as you discover that you have successfully re-potted your Phalaenopsis orchid.