Orchids...repotting?
Question:Is there anything special I need to repot my orchid? How do I know if it is doing well? All it's flowers dropped of and it is just a stem. Any info would be great
Answers:
Sounds like it might be a Phalenopsis - you generally won't need to repot this but if you look at the stem you might see a notch in it (looks like a little bud) - some folks will trim the stem just above the first notch (from the top) and this will sometimes generate a new growth of flower or spike.
If the potting mix is rotten or mushy or even just smelly then you sould repot the plant - check the root structure for rot and trim it away. You can buy an orchid bark at most good garden centers. Some folks like to inlcude some Sphagnum Moss to help with water retention - others swear by just the bark. The pH of the bark is supposed to assist the orchid take up nutrients. If you like Orchids and are interested look on-line for your local orchid society...or the American Orchid Society
Orchids are pretty much an air plant. So repotting is when the roots are coming out of the container and all over the sides. Your container is really for holding something for the orchid to grow on.
If the flowers die off, don't worry. The leave are what you need to worry about. Most orchids only bloom once a year but they are some that will bloom a 2nd time and one variety that grows in the ground will bloom more like other plants.
Orchids need warmth, filtered light and depending on the type of orchid... water. But think of them as an air plant that blooms naturally in the branches of a tree where they get filtered light, moist air and bloom seldom. BUT the blooms do last much longer than other flowers. For example, a regular flower in your yard will last only a matter of days, an orchid flower can last weeks and weeks. but once blooming is done, don't expect it again for about a year.
This is just general information because there a few different types of orchid .. an example is: some like their roots to hang down like streamers from an open type wood slat pot, other are put in a pot with bark that drains fast.. The hanging root type needs more water and you water once or twice a day until the roots get a greenish look, telling you they have soaked up enough of the spray. Others need water, but never too much.
I know this is vague but repotting is usually just to hold a plant that is crowded out, not to bring it back to life. Water, light, temperature is more important to it's happy life.
More Related Questions & Answers...