What Soil to Use for Repotting Orchids
Knowing what soil to use when repotting your orchids is vital. Choosing the correct type of soil will make a big difference to the health and growth of your orchid. The wrong soil is one of the most common reasons for an orchid plant dying. In this blog, we discuss the importance of the right orchid potting mix. We outline why the right type of soil is so important. Of course also have some handy tips and pointers to help you have healthy blooming orchids.
Can I repot an orchid in regular potting soil?
Orchids require a specialist potting soil that mimics their natural habitat. An orchid potting mix is essential to support the needs of your plant. The use of a regular houseplant potting soil is a common reason why orchid plants die. Don't make that mistake!
Orchid plant roots are particularly sensitive and need to be able to breathe. An orchid potting mix is essential to prevent your orchid roots rotting. The roots of any plant are crucial and determine the health of the rest of the plant. So if you want a thriving orchid plant, with stunning flowers, choosing the right potting mix is key.
What soil do I use to repot my orchid
There are 3 characteristics that are essential in an orchid repotting soil. These characteristics are essential to support your plant. They ensure you get the best results when repotting your orchids. The soil you choose needs to posess these three vital abilities. All dedicated orchid potting mixes should do this.
1) Be Free Draining
Drainage is very important to orchids. Choosing a repotting mix that is free draining is essential. One of the main reasons for repotting an orchid is that the existing potting mix has begun to break down. This results in drainage decreasing. Repotting the orchid will increase the drainage.
Why is this important? Orchid roots are prone to rotting. It is important that excess moisture can move away from the plant roots. An old potting mix will gradully become less free draining. This results in the plant roots being sat in waterlogged soil. Prolonged contact with excess water can lead to root rot. This can result in your plant growth and flowering being stunted or even kill the plant.
Fresh potting mix not only ensures your plant has well-draining soil. It helps to increase the airflow around the plant roots. This means moisture can evapourate. Therefore the potting mix will not be permanently be soaking wet. Perfect to support increased healthy root growth. This root growth will support stronger plant growth and flowers.
Another benefit of a well draining potting mix is that it also helps prevent any fungal infections. These are often caused by moist, waterlogged soil.
2) What Soil to use to repot orchids? - One with bark in!
Orchid potting mix should contain a good balance of bark. Bark helps to create air pockets. These air pockets are perfect to help air circulate freely around your orchids roots. Bark is porous which allows any excess water to drain away quickly. Bark essentially ensures your orchid soil is free draining.
A small thing to note. A good repotting soil should also be peat free. Peat based soils retain more moisture, which are not ideal for orchid plants.
3) What soil to use to repot orchids - One enriched with nutrients
The final thing to look out for in a potting mix is whether it is enriched with nutrients. Good orchid potting soil is enriched with a range of essential nutrients. These support your plant as it moves into its new potting mix.
To understand the stresses repotting causes to an orchid. Repotting an orchid is like a person moving home. It causes the plant stress and it needs time to settle in and recover. The roots of your orchid plant are stressed most by repotting. Since the roots are responsible for the further growth and flowering of your plant. Choosing a potting mix enriched with nutrients means nutrients can go straight to the roots and help it settle in. The nutrients in the potting mix are a bit like a removal team, they bring everything you need and put it where you need it. This means when you have moved in, the essentials are where you need so you can settle right in.
These nutrients in the orchid potting mix ensure your plant has what it needs right away. This will help the plant to quickly settle in to its new pot and recover. These nutrients equip the plant with the nutrients it needs to help develop new healthy roots while supporting its existing roots.
Final thoughts on what soil to use for repotting orchids
Choosing the right soil is vital when repotting your orchid. By understanding that repotting your orchid will cause it some stress, while understanding what is important in the soil you choose. It is easy to know what soil to used for repotting orchids. This will ensure your orchid plant has the growing environment it needs to grow bigger, support healthy rooting and produce a stunning display of flower growth for you to enjoy.
Looking for advice on how to repot an orchid? Including steps and tips to make repotting simple? Our blog How to Repot an Orchid Plant is packed full of helpful tips.
