Orchids grow like any other plant and it is obvious that you have to replant them once in a while. However, many people are concerned about this procedure. Meanwhile,transplanting orchidsis quite simple, you just need to remember to choose the right orchid substrate, pot and the appropriate transplanting technique depending on the type of orchid. Seehow to replant orchidsso that these plants grow he althily and bloom nicely!
To replant an orchid, we must have a suitable pot and a fresh orchid substrate
Orchid substrate
Before we startreplanting an orchidmake sure you have a suitable substrate. Orchids do not grow in ordinary soil as we know it from garden stores. Orchids need an airy substrate, consisting mainly of bark combined with various components. It should be remembered that the garden bark should be fresh, it should not stay in a plastic container or bag for too long, where anaerobic conditions may develop and the bark will start to decompose, and this type of material is not good for anything. Therefore, when storing the bark, make sure that it has adequate air access.
A very good addition to the substrate of orchids is sphagnum moss. It has very good properties because it maintains humidity for a long time and the plants do not rot. It is worth remembering that orchids that are ill are often transplanted into the substrate with sphagnum moss, because this material provides the best humidity conditions, and the diseased orchids begin to produce new roots and resume growth quickly! Remember, however, that sphagnum moss is protected in nature, so we can only get it from artificial breeding.
A good addition to the substrate is also popular polystyrene, of course properly shredded. First of all, it improves the aeration of the substrate, and also has an extremely long durability. The only drawback is that it is not compostable as an artificial product.
The substrate for orchids can also be enriched with many other components, e.g. vermiculite, sponge or perlite, and even peanut shells. An increasingly common ingredient is crushed coconut shell, which is often even the main ingredient! Although it is not an ideal substrate because after 6 months the coconut begins to decompose, which causes root damage.
To sum up, the bestsubstrate for orchidsis a good quality bark mixed with sphagnum moss or fibrous light peat.
The best substrate for orchids is bark mixed with sphagnum moss or fibrous light peat
Flower pot for orchids
Another important element intransplanting orchidsis the container into which we will transplant the orchid, i.e. the pot. It is worth emphasizing here that in nature, orchids grow on trees or rocks, and their roots hang free in the air. However, in order for them to grow on our windowsill, they need to be put in a pot, which may come as a shock to many of these plants.
There are many types of pots for orchids:
Plastic or clay pots
Clay containers are not a very good solution because they have a rough texture that often irritates the roots. In addition, water evaporates through the porous walls, which cools the entire substrate. It is also common for plants to fall out of such containers. Plastic pots, on the other hand, are much better. They maintain a slightly higher temperature of the substrate, and also have a perforated bottom, which facilitates water drainage.
Transparent pots
They are gaining more and more popularity in recent years. And no wonder they are a really good solution, and permanent. The only thing to remember is to make sure that the walls of the pot are not overgrown with algae, which take away nutrients from our orchids, being a competition for them.
Baskets
Many orchids plant well in baskets, and there are very nice wooden baskets for sale, for example, to be hung from the ceiling, which allows you to observe the fleshy roots of orchids overgrowing through the basket. Unfortunately, these types of containers are problematic because dripping water, long after watering, may drip onto the floor.
Orchid replanting - step by step
The transplanting procedure is the time when the most mistakes are usually made, so you should first familiarize yourself with the theory in order to safely proceed to practice.
Important!The transplanted orchid should have a slightly moist substrate. If its roots are too dry, they can break during transplanting.
Orchid replantingis done a bit differently for monopodial and sympodial orchids.
Monopodial orchids
Step 1
Squeeze the sides of the pot lightly so that the roots easily detach from the sides of the pot. Pull out the orchid gently and equally gently and thoroughly remove the entire substrate from between the roots.
Step 2
Remove all old roots by cutting off with clean scissors. Too old roots would rot in a new pot anyway.
Step 3
Gently arrange the roots in the pot, slowly twisting them and covering them with a new substrate, also inserting air roots if the plant is therefore more stable. The plant should be in the middle of the pot!
Sympodial orchids
Same procedure as for monopodial orchids, but remember that there must be a new shoot in the center of the new pot! Rhizomes and buds should not be covered with the substrate because they can rot.The exception is Paphiopedilum orchids (footwear), where the substrate should cover the uppermost roots with a thumb-thick layer.
How often to transplant orchids
Everything depends of course on the growth rate of the plant, but it is assumed that orchids should be replanted every two years. Although sometimes it is necessary to perform this procedure earlier due to inferior quality of the substrate or occurring orchid diseases. How can you tell when you are growing strong that it is time to replant? Well, you have to pay attention to the roots, if they start to grow outside the pot, it means that it is time to replant the orchid, but you should not put it off for too long because the roots growing in the air for a long time will not be able to adapt to the development in the substrate and will simply rot.
Note!You should never replant an orchid right after purchasing it, as it may be too much of a shock to the plant.
The best time forto replant orchidsis from April to September.When there is more sunlight and plants get more energy. Orchids with monopodial growth can be replanted at any time from spring to autumn. On the other hand, sympodial orchids - when young shoots grow out of them, because at the same time they also grow new roots, which facilitates rooting in a new pot.
Note!When transplanting, pay special attention to the root tips (bright green points at the end of the root), these are the points of cell division that are responsible for root growth. It is best not to touch them or limit it to the minimum.
Is it possible to replant an orchid when it blooms?
Any transplanting initially strongly disrupts the development of the plant, therefore transplanting with orchid flowers can result in the total or partial loss of flowers. At the same time, however, it should be remembered that it is better to replant an orchid and lose its flowers than to let it continue to grow in a too small pot.It is also worth removing the inflorescence shoot with flowers after replanting during flowering, as it will make it much easier for the plant to settle in a new pot.
Are orchids pruned when transplanting?
When transplanting, cut off any sick, slimy or bad parts of the plant, remember to use a clean pair of scissors! The trimmed plant should be put aside for a dozen or so minutes before placing it in a new pot, so that the wounds can close together.
Note!When transplanting, the old and ugly pseudobulbs of Dendrobium and Cattleya orchids are not removed. These organs contain a reserve of water and nutrients that will be useful for the plant after transplanting.
Katarzyna Matuszak
