Orchids are epiphytes, they have air roots which absorb nutrients from surrounding debris like dead leaves, dust, water. Unlike parasitic plants, orchids do not harm the host for nutrients. Aerial roots from an epiphytic plant need to be taken care of. Damage to these aerial roots can cause the plant to die.
If your indoor orchid is having too many air roots growing above the surface, this may be a signal to repot to a bigger size pot. Do not let the roots of a orchid to snug. These roots need good aerations and drainages.
Now, coming to the main part of the post, before repotting the orchid, we will need one pair of gardening gloves, one gardening shear, peat moss, perlite, fir bark, and a big-sized pot that can accommodate the orchid roots well.
Wear the pair of gloves and then only handle with an orchid mixture that contains sharp bark edges. While repotting care should be taken not to damage any part of the plant. Gently pull out the old peat moss from the old pot. It is better not to use the old peat for a new pot. Now, look at the roots of the orchid for any damaged, rotten, dried part. You can trim off such damaged parts.
Orchid potting mix
Potting mixture for orchid can be anything that allows easy aeration, drainage and can hold moisture. Orchids in natural habitat grows on trees and rocks in high humidity places. You can consider fir bark, peat moss, perlite for orchid potting mix. These ingredients have great moisture holding capacity and provides easy aeration. They will mimic natural habit for an orchid plant.
At first take few moss peat and wrap around the aerial roots of the orchid. Then, put in the roots with peat moss in the new pot. Now fill the remaining gaps with peat moss, perlite and bark. Keep in mind not to tighten it too much.
Orchid repotting kit
Nowadays orchid repotting kit is also available on market to buy and use. It cost only dollars to get different sizes pots, potting mix, fertilizer, growth enhancer and a manual to follow.
FAQ
Should I repot my orchid after buying?
It depends on the condition of the orchid and the pot size, if you see the size of the pot is small or the plant is not growing properly, you may think of repotting to a new container.
What kind of pot is best for orchids?
Any type of pot that does not retain water, has enough holes at the bottom. Plastic pots that are easy to transfer from one place to another are preferred over ceramics and metallic pots.
What size pot should my orchid be in?
Size of the pot totally depends on the size of the orchid plant. If the size of the orchid is big with long roots and many stems in one group, you may consider a big size pot.
What soil do you use to repot orchids?
You can not grow orchids on soils like other plants. These plants need a special potting mix to mimic the natural habitat of orchids.
Can I trim off aerial roots my orchid?
Yes, only the damaged rotten, dried one. If you trim off all the aerial roots of an orchid. Most probably, the orchid will die due to inability to absorb nutrients from surround water, dust, air etc.
You May Like to Read:
How do you propagate a ZZ plant from leaf in water
How to cut leaves off monstera and propagate them
Why are my rose cuttings failing?
