Improper potting kills more home-grown orchids than any other factor. Potting for your conditions is the most important orchid-growing skill you can develop.
This is the first repotting video and several more will follow. I started with Phalaenopsis for multiple reasons, primarily because more than half of the orchids in cultivation are Phalaenopsis. Also, Phalaenopsis are very easy to repot so it made sense to start here. I intend to follow up with repotting videos for Cattleyas, Oncidiums, and Dendrobiums.
To repot a Phalaenopsis we will need a plant, a pot, and some mix. In many cases removing the mix from the roots will be more involved than it is in this video; be patient, remove any rotted roots, and be carefull with the healthy roots. Before you begin, wash your hands carefully, especially if you have handle other orchid plants. Viruses are easy to transfer from one plant to another during repotting.
The size of the pot is very much dependent on the size of the mass of the remaining healthy roots, which we do not want to damage. But also, do not be tempted to overpot. I prefer to use pots no larger than about 6″ or 6 1/2″ for Phalaenopsis. Larger pots tend to stay too wet in the middle, which can rot the roots and kill the plant. If you cannot fit the rootball into the pot without damaging the roots, you may have to do some root pruning.
Bob’s Phalaenopsis repotting video
