A Guide to Repotting Orchids
Orchids are truly tremendous plants. They take amazingly different shapes and forms and are available in a variety of breathtaking colors. Many people mistakenly think that orchids are difficult plants to grow but this is actually not true, and as long as you are educated and understanding on the plant genus and how they grow you should have no problems.
Repotting Orchids
Repotting orchids is often a difficult process however, and repotting an orchid for the first time can be especially daunting. This is particularly because repotting orchids is very different than repotting any other type of plant, and so even gardening experts often have troubles with this.
Repotting orchids is a very important step in their growth because an orchid that is kept in the same pot too long will flower poorly and eventually end up dying. There are two ways that you can tell if your orchid needs repotting. The first is to consider the size of the overall plant, and if it has become obvious that it is too large for the pot you have it planted in, of course you will need to move it to one of a larger size.
The other way that you can tell you need to repot your orchid is if the growing medium has broken down. If you can see that the growing medium has become sodden and mushy you will need to repot the plant in fresh medium, as this is the only way to keep the roots from rotting.
If you do not feel comfortable repotting orchids yourself you can always bring the plant in to a nursery or gardening center where they will have experts who can take on the task for you, but the best idea is to learn more about the orchid plants and about the steps that are required for proper repotting so that you can learn how to do it yourself in the future.
Remember that unless it is an absolute emergency, the best time that you can repot your orchid plant is just after it has begun to produce new growth but before the new roots of this growth have had time to elongate. This way you will not be ripping the roots out of the soil, but even if you are not able to do it at this specific time just keep in mind that any time the plant is not in flower is when it will be best to repot it.
