Orchids grow at a steady pace, just like other plants.
This means that after about 18-24 months, your orchids will have outgrown their pots.
Not only that, the material on which they grow will have deteriorated and been depleted.
The roots are all tight together and do not allow the air to circulate around them and dry them out.
You know what that can mean: root rot.
It is time to repot your orchids.
Carefully check the pots of your orchids.
Are any of them in good enough condition to re-use? These will be hand-me-downs for the divided plants.
I will talk about dividing later.
Write down all the sizes of your existing pots, and which ones you plan to re-use.
Take the list to a garden center and buy new orchid pots that are large enough to give your orchids space to grow into over the next 18-24 months.
Get a few extra pots in case your orchids can be divided up into several plants.
While at garden center, buy some pruning clippers or a sharp knife, orchid soil, sphagnum moss or bark, and anti-fungal powder or pruning sealer.
Get a few bamboo stick and plant ties if you have monopodial orchids that need to be supported.
Do you need an additional water tray for the new pots from the divided plants? Stop at the drug store for a bottle of bleach.
Back at home, it is time to get everything ready.
Find several shards or flat stones to put into the bottom of each pot.
Keep in mind, that orchids are not as sensitive as other plants when it comes to keeping them out of the pot for a while.
No reason to rush.
Carefully remove the orchids from their pots and set them on cloth.
Make sure they are not exposed to direct sun light.
Here is the most important step: Wash your hands, the tools, the pots (especially the hand-me-downs) and shards thoroughly in a mixture of 1/2cup bleach to 1 gallon of water.
This cleaning must not be skipped.
Orchids are susceptible to diseases and viruses, such as the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), which might be on your hands, if you are a smoker.
This virus even has a strain named for orchids: the TMV-O.
Some orchid growers and exporters protect their orchids by requiring their workers to use gloves when repotting the plants.
And they have to use new gloves for every plant! One at a time, carefully remove as much of the spent soil, bark, or moss as you can from around and in between the roots.
Trim off any shriveled or rotting leaves, roots, and pseudobulbs.
If your plants are large enough, now is the time to divide them.
Make sure that each part has several new root shoots and at least three pseudobulbs in the case of sympodial orchids.
Apply anti-fungal powder or pruning sealer wherever you have cut, divided or pruned your orchid.
Place shards or stones in the bottom of the pot over the holes.
Add at layer of soil, bark or moss.
Carefully set the orchid into the middle and gently fill with more material as needed to give the orchid enough to grow in (terrestrial orchids) or hold onto (epiphytic orchids).
For you monopodial orchids that have a stem, gently insert the bamboo stick into the pot, being careful not to crush any root.
Pick a stick that extends 6-12 inches (15-30cm) above the orchid.
That way you won't have to replace the stick before it is time to repot.
Tie the stem lightly to the stick.
Water the orchids when you are done repotting the orchids.
Your plants now have fresh material to grow on and the roots have breathing room.
The orchids will reward you with many beautiful blooms.
This means that after about 18-24 months, your orchids will have outgrown their pots.
Not only that, the material on which they grow will have deteriorated and been depleted.
The roots are all tight together and do not allow the air to circulate around them and dry them out.
You know what that can mean: root rot.
It is time to repot your orchids.
Carefully check the pots of your orchids.
Are any of them in good enough condition to re-use? These will be hand-me-downs for the divided plants.
I will talk about dividing later.
Write down all the sizes of your existing pots, and which ones you plan to re-use.
Take the list to a garden center and buy new orchid pots that are large enough to give your orchids space to grow into over the next 18-24 months.
Get a few extra pots in case your orchids can be divided up into several plants.
While at garden center, buy some pruning clippers or a sharp knife, orchid soil, sphagnum moss or bark, and anti-fungal powder or pruning sealer.
Get a few bamboo stick and plant ties if you have monopodial orchids that need to be supported.
Do you need an additional water tray for the new pots from the divided plants? Stop at the drug store for a bottle of bleach.
Back at home, it is time to get everything ready.
Find several shards or flat stones to put into the bottom of each pot.
Keep in mind, that orchids are not as sensitive as other plants when it comes to keeping them out of the pot for a while.
No reason to rush.
Carefully remove the orchids from their pots and set them on cloth.
Make sure they are not exposed to direct sun light.
Here is the most important step: Wash your hands, the tools, the pots (especially the hand-me-downs) and shards thoroughly in a mixture of 1/2cup bleach to 1 gallon of water.
This cleaning must not be skipped.
Orchids are susceptible to diseases and viruses, such as the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), which might be on your hands, if you are a smoker.
This virus even has a strain named for orchids: the TMV-O.
Some orchid growers and exporters protect their orchids by requiring their workers to use gloves when repotting the plants.
And they have to use new gloves for every plant! One at a time, carefully remove as much of the spent soil, bark, or moss as you can from around and in between the roots.
Trim off any shriveled or rotting leaves, roots, and pseudobulbs.
If your plants are large enough, now is the time to divide them.
Make sure that each part has several new root shoots and at least three pseudobulbs in the case of sympodial orchids.
Apply anti-fungal powder or pruning sealer wherever you have cut, divided or pruned your orchid.
Place shards or stones in the bottom of the pot over the holes.
Add at layer of soil, bark or moss.
Carefully set the orchid into the middle and gently fill with more material as needed to give the orchid enough to grow in (terrestrial orchids) or hold onto (epiphytic orchids).
For you monopodial orchids that have a stem, gently insert the bamboo stick into the pot, being careful not to crush any root.
Pick a stick that extends 6-12 inches (15-30cm) above the orchid.
That way you won't have to replace the stick before it is time to repot.
Tie the stem lightly to the stick.
Water the orchids when you are done repotting the orchids.
Your plants now have fresh material to grow on and the roots have breathing room.
The orchids will reward you with many beautiful blooms.
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