Can you use regular potting soil to repot an orchid?

Unfortunately, you can't use traditional soil to pot your orchid because it's too dense to support your orchid's delicate and unique root system. Since orchids are epiphytic plants, their roots require plenty of air to survive. Essentially, regular soil will suffocate your plant.


What kind of soil should I use to repot an orchid?

In order to mimic their preferred growing conditions, repotting orchids into specialist orchid compost or a mix of moss, bark chips and perlite, is essential to maintaining their health and vitality.

Can I make my own orchid potting mix?

Using a measuring jar, take four parts of fine fir bark, fine-grade coco chips, and redwood bark in a container. Add one part fine charcoal and one part perlite to the container. Mix until you obtain a mix of uniform consistency. That's it!


Can orchids live without potting mix?

Orchids can and do grow without soil. They need a small amount of soil to germinate in, but as they mature they need less and less soil. In their native habitat, orchids are air plants. This means they root in very little soil, often on tree limbs, and get most of what they need from the air.

What is the easiest way to repot an orchid?

Gently pull the pot away from the plant and wash off the roots. Use sharp scissors to cut off any brown or rotting roots. Fill the new planter with the soaked potting medium and place the plant so that the base is right at the top of the medium. Use a chopstick to help push bits of planting medium in between the roots.


What is the best Potting Mix for your Orchid? - Learn about Orchid Media! Orchid Care for Beginners



What to soak orchid roots in when repotting?

You should soak orchid air roots in lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes before repotting just like you would with other roots. Soaking the roots helps to remove residue and leftover old growing medium, so it is an important step in repotting.

Should I water orchids before or after repotting?

About an hour before you want to start repotting a plant, water it thoroughly and completely. This will give the roots a chance to soften and become pliable. If they have attached to the pot surface, they can be removed more easily. If they have to be untangled, they are more likely to bend than break.

When should you not repot an orchid?

Most orchids need to be repotted every one to two years, but you should wait until the blooming cycle is complete to take this step. Once your orchid enters the resting period, watch for the signs that it has outgrown the current pot.


Can orchids live in regular soil?

Gardeners new to orchid growing soon realize that healthy orchids don't grow in regular potting soil. It's too dense, doesn't drain thoroughly enough, and most orchids actually grow in the air—the medium is just there to give the roots something to cling to.

Should orchid roots be exposed?

Most orchids will have aerial roots reaching out into the air, rather than digging down into the potting media. These roots are looking for a tree branch to attach to. These roots absorb moisture from the air. Do not trim off these wandering roots, just let them do their thing.

Is orchid potting mix just bark?

As with all forms of potting mix, orchid potting mix is quite literally a mixed bag. Often the bark itself is blended with other fibrous materials like coco fibres, seramis (a kind of clay) and often perlite. They can be great for use in terrariums, but it's always important to check the label!


Do orchids go into shock after repotting?

The only time you do not want to repot a Phalaenopsis orchid is when the plant is in bloom. If you do so, all the blooms will drop off due to stress and transplant shock.

Do orchids like big or small pots?

Most orchids require a 4, 5 or 6 inch pot. There are seedlings and miniatures that require smaller pots, older specimen plants and some genera (Cymbidium, Phaius, large Cattleya...) that often require 8 inch pots or bigger but the majority of orchids sold in groceries, box stores, florists and the like are not these.

Should you soak orchid roots?

Soak for about 10 minutes to saturate. Allow the water to drain out completely; orchids like a good soak but don't tolerate sitting in water. Uneven watering will result in shallow or uneven root growth.


Should orchid roots touch water?

As orchids live in the tropics and are known as tropical plants, they thrive on high humidity. You place your plant in the glass container with the roots touching the water. Of course, the container opening must be wide, allowing enough airflow into and out of the vessel.

Do you trim orchid roots when repotting?

When repotting your orchid, usually once every year or two, you may find that some of the roots are not very healthy. You should remove these roots before returning your plant to its pot. With your sanitized shears, trim dead roots about an inch above the point where they have begun to die.

What time of year do you repot orchids?

Orchids are best repotted when they are in active growth. Orchids are usually in active growth shortly after blooming when they send out new shoots and/or leaves and new roots begin to form. Ideally, repotting is best done while the new roots are less than a few inches long.


Should I water plants immediately after repotting?

Water the soil mix thoroughly after repotting plants. Again the exception would be succulents & cacti which I keep dry & let settle in for 2-7 days (depending on the type of succulent) before watering.

What is the life expectancy of an orchid?

In the wild, orchids are able to live about 20 years, depending on the type of orchid and the environment. Potted orchids do not have quite the same life span, but with proper care, it is not usual for orchids to live for between 10 to 15 years. There are some reports of orchids living for significantly longer.

Is Miracle Gro orchid potting mix good for orchids?

Want to grow dazzling orchids? The specially formulated mix in Miracle-Gro® Orchid Potting Mix Coarse Blend is blended specifically for epiphyte orchids, including Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Epidendrum, and Dendrobium.


How do you repot an orchid without killing it?

  1. Step 1: Prepare your materials. ...
  2. Step 2: Remove the orchid from its current pot. ...
  3. Step 3: Clean up the roots. ...
  4. Step 4: Place the orchid in its new pot. ...
  5. Step 5: Add potting mix. ...
  6. Step 6: Stake your orchid. ...
  7. 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Air Plants.


What do you do with orchid air roots?

Orchids should be repotted after the bloom period is complete when most go into a "rest" period or dormancy. Orchids with air roots can be repotted with new planting materials in the same pot or a different pot of the same size.