How To: Repot an Orchid

Back in January, Mandy and I took a day trip to Raleigh. For dog food. It was a long way to go for us, especially for dog food. So I decided we needed to go somewhere else other than the pet store. Thankfully, Raleigh has more than its fair share of garden centers and plant stores. One such place was Atlantic Avenue Orchid and Garden Center. 

If I go by myself into a store that sells plants, there's a 50/50 chance I can walk out empty handed. The same goes for my wife. Put us in a plant store together, however, and it's pretty much guaranteed that we'll be buying something. Put us together in a store that specializes in orchids, and it's almost pitiful the way we rationalize adding a new member to the plant family.

We were in the orchid greenhouse about three minutes when we saw him... Meet Walter:

Paphiopedilum orchid, more commonly known as "Paphs", Lady Slipper orchids

Who's Walter? Walter is a Paphidopedilum (say: Paff-ee-oh-ped-di-lum) orchid. I named him Walter since we bought him in Raleigh. Raleigh, being named after it's founder, Sir Walter Raleigh; Walter, named after the founder of his city of purchase. Yes, it's convoluted reasoning but I assure you it all makes sense in my head. Plus, I just wanted to name a plant.

Mottled foliage is attractive even when there's no flower

Walter was doing quite well for himself. Purchased in mid-January, he bloomed from early February all the way into early April. At which point a second flower stalk emerged, which meant another two months of flowering.

He lived on our bathroom counter. It was bright, it was humid, it was warm, he got watered regularly. We looked at him every day, he was praised for doing well, and both my wife and I were looking forward to seeing that second flower come up. Life was going well. 

However, Walter had an accident...

*not actual accident scene - reenactment for educational purposes

I wasn't there, so I don't know what happened. All I know is: On that fateful morning there was flailing of human arms, some falling was involved, and lo and behold, Walter needed to be re-potted. Here's how I did it:

Step One: Remove the plant and all accompanying soil from the pot

Don't panic, and try to trust me: this is a normal step to take when repotting orchids. Part of the process is gauging root health and identifying and removing dead roots from the plant. Dead roots will fester and decay, potentially passing either disease or unhealthy bacterium over to viable roots.

Take a deep breath, and gently grasp the plant by the crown (the firm part of the plant just above the roots but below the first leaves) and ease it out of the pot. Once it's in the open, pick off any potting media that's entwined or attached to the roots themselves. Remove anything that the plant didn't cause to exist. 

Once you've pulled the plant out of the pot and cleared away all soil, moss, or other potting media, take a look at the root system. Healthy roots will generally be "brighter" in color than their dead counterparts; they'll also be firm to the touch. Dead roots will be discolored, shriveled up, and mushy. A lot of times there will be a fuzzy mold growing on decomposing roots

Click on the photo for a larger version that's easier to see
*The "dead" arrow on the left should actually be pointing to the next root to the right. Sorry 'bout that. 

Step Two: Prune off dead and dying roots

WHAT? I know it may seem counterproductive to cut roots off of a plant, but trust me, it's better in the long run. Most of the time, roots that have been pruned will branch where cut, producing two ends where there was only one before. Just progress slowly, feeling each root for the point where it transitions from firm and healthy to sick and withered. Make the cut about a quarter-inch on the healthy side. 

If you're not used to it, a pruned root system can look shockingly small compared to what used to be there: 

What have I done??? 

Just keep in mind that you haven't removed anything that wasn't dead already. The small root system you're looking at now is all the plant had to work with before you touched anything. 

Step Three: Select the new potting mix

Orchids require a special potting mix which is quite different from the standard garden potting mixes you may be familiar with. The largest reason for this is because the vast majority of orchids are not terrestrial (ground-dwelling) plants, but epiphytes. Epiphytes are plants that grow and live on other plants. Orchids, mosses, mistletoe, and some kinds of ferns all grow on other plants. Thus, their requirements for soil is quite different than from other plants. In particular, epiphytes need much more air circulation than other plants. Thus, orchids need a very well-drained potting mix that won't hold water for more than a few days. 

                                

Pictured above is what I'm using this go-round. The bark has a nice mix of coarse and fine particles. 

However, I do like to have a little more water retention than just straight bark. Even if the moss doesn't really retain more water, it at least keeps more humidity in the root zone. For that I use moss. Either Spanish moss or Sphagnum moss will work just fine:

                       

Step Four: Replant the orchid

On most normal, healthy orchids, the root system will be big enough that the proper way to add soil to the pot is to place the orchid in first, and then place the new potting mix around the roots. Since Walter's root system is a bit on the smaller side, I had to put a bit of bark in the empty pot first:

Before I put Walter back in the pot, I added a layer of moss which will help to guard against drying out (usually from neglect on my part):

After some more stuffing of bark (during which it was hard to stop and remember to snap a photo), the pot is full and the task is done. Hooray!

Step Five: Enjoy the fruits of your labor

You'd almost never know Walter had a near-death experience

Congratulations: You've successfully re-potted your orchid. There's no need to immediately water in the orchid; it's best to wait a day or so. Most literature says to only water orchids "lightly" after repotting, but I've never really noticed where it makes a difference. Just pay attention to how wet the bark is and take care not to overdo it.