What is repotting?
          Repotting is taking your orchid plant out of its pot, removing the potting material and then placing your plant in the same size or slightly larger pot with new fresh potting material.  Repotting should be done every 2 to 3 years because the potting material decays and breaks down over time.  Repotting should also be done when your plant has outgrown its pot (meaning it is tight in the pot).  However, do not repot your plant while it is budded or blooming.  It is best to repot after your flowers have finished blooming.  (Or if you do not have flowers, when you see new root growth.

What kind of Potting Material shoud I use to repot?     The safest Potting Materials to use when repotting are the same materials that you are currently using for that orchid.  If you feel comfortable, you can experiment with other potting materials that may give you better results.  Here is a link to our webpage on Potting Materials.  It gives an insight into the different growing mediums you can use.

So how do I repot?
1.  Remove the plant from its pot.  

While holding the plant, tap the bottom edge of the pot against the ground to loosen the plant in the pot.  Then with the pot on its side, gently pull your plant out of the pot being careful not to damage any roots that have grown outside of the pot.  Be sure to save any stakes and twist ties so you can use them later in part 4.  Also, make sure you don't throw away the plants label.

2.  Remove old potting material and dead roots. 

Remove any old potting material that sticks to the roots of the plant.  Also remove any dead roots from your plant.  (Dead roots are usually brown in color and dried out.)

3.  Put the plant in its new pot. 

Choosing the pot and how you place your plant in the pot are important.  Repotting is typically done when your plant is tight in its pot, so choose a pot that is 1 size larger than its previous pot.  For dendrobiums, epidendrums, and vandas, place the plant in the center of the pot because these orchids grow outward evenly.  For cattleyas, place the orchid such that the oldest pseudobulb is against the edge of the pot.  This is because Cattleyas' new growth will always expand in the same direction.  And you will want to give it the most room to grow.

4.  Fill pot with potting material. 

Fill the space around the plant with fresh potting material.  (We also put a styrofoam peanut at the bottom of the pot to provide better drainage.)  Then, using our fingers, gently press the potting material around the plant taking to make sure the roots of the plant are covered.  If your plant is top-heavy, now is the time to put a stake in the pot to give your plant a little more support.  Use twist ties or string to secure the plant to the stake.  It is okay to re-use stakes from part 1.

5.  Fertilize, water, and give it light. 

Feed your plant well to get your plant off to a bright new start!!