Knowing When to Repot Orchids: A Complete Guide
Repotting your orchid plant is an essential part of its care. This is because it will help to maintain its health and vitality. To avoid causing any stress to your orchid, it is important to know when is best time to repot orchids. In this blog we discuss ways to know when to repot orchids and how to spot the signs it is time to repot your plant.
When to repot an orchid plant?
How do you know when your orchid needs repotting? There are several points throughout the life cycle of your plant when it may need repotting.
When to repot an orchid – Tip 1
After flowering:
After your orchid has flowered is a good time to repot. This will ensure you can enjoy your plants blooms. When these come to an end, it is the perfect time to repot your plant. This will in turn help them to bloom again. Sometimes repotting can be a stressful process for an orchid plant. So repotting when it is flowering is not a good time. During the flowering stage, you should leave your plant to flower with minimal changes. The last thing you want to do is affect flowering cycle. This will shorten your enjoyment of your plants beautiful floral display and put stress on the plant.
If you have an orchid that has just finished flowering and want are looking for tips for how to repot it. Our blog, Orchid Care After Flowering has some great advice and pointers on how to repot your plant once it has flowered.
When repotting orchids – Tip 2
Outgrown its current pot:
If you start to notice that the roots from your orchid plant are growing over the edges of the pot it is in. Or that the roots appear tightly packed in the pot. These are signs that your plant is starting to become pot bound. This is a clear sign that your plant should be repotted.
When your orchid plant has outgrown the pot it is in. It is important to give your plant a bigger pot than the current one is in. This is important because your plant needs extra space to thrive and continue to grow. If you need a new pot, we have a great selection of orchid plant pots available.
When repot orchid – Tip 3
Poor potting mix quality:
Over time all orchid potting mixes break down. At this point the orchid plant is living in a poor potting mix. As a result of this, the potting mix no longer provides sufficient nutrients to support the growth of an orchid. This often leads to your orchid having visible issues. These issues are sure signs that it is time to repot your plant. If you see that your orchid leaves are starting to go limp. Or you notice they are rotting. This is a potential sign that your potting medium has broken down and is in need of a refresh.
Another typical thing that you may notice is that the potting medium starts to smell or develop mould.
This is another sign that your plant needs a to be repotted with new potting mix. The new potting mix is a great way to overcome these issues and improve the health of your plant. After you repot your plant, it is a great idea to feed with an orchid feed to replenish your plant with the nutrients it needs.
Time to repot your plant? If you need help or tips for how to repot your plant. Our blog How to repot an orchid plant has a step by step guide on how to do this along with some handy tips to make repotting your orchid a little easier.
When should you repot orchids – Tip 4
Every 1 – 2 years:
As a general rule of thumb, orchids need to be repotted every 1-2 years. The growth rate of your orchid will play a huge part in this, if your orchid grows quickly, then it should be repotted sooner than a slower growing plant. The condition of the potting medium is another factor to consider, if this looks in need of a refresh, then it is time to repot.
Often tips 1-3 will prompt a repot, however, sometimes, these to not happen in a 1-2 year timeframe and when it gets to this point, it is sensible to repot your plant as a matter of good practice.
Final thoughts on When to Repot Orchids
While it can seem challenging to know the right time to repot your orchid. There are a number of points in the lifecycle of an orchid that present an opportune moment to do so. Our blog outlines some of the most common things to look for when you feed and care for you plant. But it also advises points in your plants lifecycle that are the right moment to repot. By following these tips and pointers and by regularly monitoring the condition of your orchid and its roots, you should be able to determine when it is time to repot your orchid with confidence.
