But if you have some lying around it can be useful on a short-term emergency basis. Other orchids choose to grow in the highly porous and diverse media found on the forest floor. Gather up a knife, scissors, new orchid pots (or old ones that are thoroughly cleaned), wooden stakes, and soft ties. The American Orchid Society can be a great resource to find less common potting media and to get advice from experienced orchid growers. Monopodial orchids are those with one growing point that always grows vertically, not sideways (such as phalaenopsis, angraecums, and vandas). Large, coarse bark mix is best only for large established plants which can withstand more dryness between waterings. This clumping quality can then prevent the air circulation orchid roots need. The new shoot should be level with the pot rim. Choose a potting mix that suits your particular type of orchid. Bark is typically sold in grades from fine to coarse and small to large. Osmunda fiber, or osmundine as it is sometimes called, comes from the roots of the Osmunda fern plant. Texas A&M University botanists, however, say their Phalaenopsis orchids thrive best in a potting mix that is 80% fir bark and 20% coarse sphagnum peat. However, their stunning good looks and unique care needs can make it feel like they are for advanced gardeners only. Otherwise, it’ll never hold moisture properly and will always dry out. Older, larger plants tend to favor a more coarse mixture. If the roots are rotted and in poor condition, repot the plant in a container of the same or one size smaller than it was removed from. There are two kinds of peat moss: sphagnum and German. Tree fern fiber is also a great choice with similar properties to regular tree bark when used as an orchid potting mix. Aim for four essentials as you build your own DIY orchid potting mix: great drainage, moisture retention, excellent root aeration/air circulation and slow to decompose (rot). The potting process for these orchids is similar to the process just outlined, except that the orchid should be placed in the center of the container, rather than toward the back. The phalaenopsis, for instance, should never be allowed to dry out completely, so you will need to incorporate more absorbent materials such as perlite, peat moss or tree fern into your mix.. Best Orchid Pots: Beginner’s Buying Guide, How To Water An Orchid – Care Guide & Pictures, How to Repot an Orchid: Step by Step Guide, How To Prune An Orchid – Step By Step Guide. Coarse-cut materials are generally used to promote proper root aeration, water and nutrient retention, and root drainage. Phalaenopsis orchids can be planted in quite a wide variety of materials, including fir bark, sphagnum peat, tree fern, charcoal, sphagnum moss, perlite, coconut husk chips, diatomite or any mixture of these materials. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When you’re ready to repot the orchid, spread out some newspaper over a work surface. We use cookies to ensure we give you the best experience on our website.

Fine-grained fibers can almost resemble thick hairs or skinny roots, while the coarser coconut chips look more like tree bark. Most are combinations of bark and moss, bark and synthetics (Perlite, vermiculite, etc.) As long as the product states that it is specifically formulated for orchids, you can use it to repot your orchid. Different types of orchids can benefit from different potting media. When repotting monopodial orchids, place them in the center of the pot, not at the back. This is actually one of the most challenging aspects of orchid care to master, even though it essentially boils down to semantics.

For instructions on how to repot your Just Add Ice Orchid, watch the orchid care video on our website. Here are two examples. You’ll know it time to repot orchids when, The plant itself is going over the edge of the pot, Potting material is getting soggy and drains poorly. Some orchid growers like to add a coarse material like broken clay pots or Styrofoam in the bottom of the pots to improve drainage. You may need to use a knife to circle the inside of the pot and loosen the roots. It often surprises new orchid enthusiasts to learn that orchids are among the few plants that don’t need soil! This is the exact opposite of what orchids need to survive, let alone thrive. The ideal time to repot most orchids is when the plant starts new growth — usually right after it finishes flowering. Bark is an optimal medium to use for potting orchids. This can be a problem when decomposition attracts microbes that can do damage to orchid roots and lead to root rot. You may also notice orchids clinging to rocks. Choose the right potting mix, and you are already halfway to enjoying the beauty of orchids for years to come. What these orchids need instead of traditional soil is the right potting mix or medium, that more closely replicates what they would find on the first floor. Orchid-growing media can be created by blending any number of different organic materials. Below we list some frequently asked questions about repotting orchids. If you enjoyed this article, please share it using the buttons below. Despite their reputation, orchids are tough, and repotting helps them thrive. Try a variety of mixes to see which ones your orchids like the best. Sphagnum peat moss is not regarded as suitable for potting orchids long-term. If you take the time to learn to repot your orchids they will reward you with years of enjoyment and blooms. It is also slow to decompose so you can take longer between repotting. Every orchid grower seems to have his own ideas about what makes the perfect orchid potting mix. Orchids are actually not that challenging to care for. If you ever have the good fortune to see wild orchids growing, you’ll notice them happily clinging to tree trunks and branches – without a scrap of soil in sight. Repot your orchid for improved growing space and drainage.

To achieve this precise blend of traits, you will likely want to combine more than one media together, such as one-part bark, one-part synthetic, and one-part moss. Steven A. Frowine is a professional horticulturalist who grows more than 200 orchids in his Connecticut home. It is also slow to decompose so you can take longer between repotting. It should not be your first choice.

Different kinds of orchids may respond better to different types of potting media. These orchids are “terrestrials” (earth plants). Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site. By Steven A. Frowine, National Gardening Association, Don’t be afraid to repot your orchids while caring for them. Soil has properties that tend to pack closely around the plant roots. Smaller, younger seedlings and plants will do well with finer material. Rinse the mix thoroughly to wash out the dust that was in the mix. Every orchid grower seems to have his own ideas about what makes the perfect orchid potting mix. If you are not able to find the precise blend in a ready-made commercial product, you can whip up your own orchid potting mix at home fairly easily. Hot water penetrates the material better than cold water. It really helps us out! Repotting orchids is really quite easy and fun.

How to Make Your Own Orchid Potting Mix At Home. The orchid should be secure in the pot so it doesn’t wiggle — otherwise, the new roots won’t form properly. Fir is a solid choice overall. It has a single main stem from which the surrounding leaves and flowers sprout. Hey there! Simultaneously, it traps moisture too near the roots, and this can cause root rot. The most popular types of orchid bark mix include fir, tree fern, pine, and redwood. However, it also tends to break down (decompose) more quickly than soil and other types of orchid potting mix. What Potting Mix Is Best for Phalaenopsis Orchids. Here’s how you prepare the orchid mix for potting: Pour the amount of potting material you intend to use into a bucket that has about twice the volume of the mix. Choose a potting mix that suits your particular type of orchid. When orchids are in bloom, the staking techniques will vary, depending on the type of orchid. Although redwood is an excellent hardwood for growing orchids, it is notoriously tricky to find. It is more porous than soil and also larger and chunkier to permit better airflow and moisture drainage – two things orchid roots crave. Its roots are moisture-loving but hate being too damp. Do Different Orchid Types Need Different Potting Media? Some orchid hobbyists enjoy experimenting with different potting materials and mixing their own orchid media. Many online and local resources exist for locating the best orchid potting mix for the species you want to grow. While special orchid mix blends may be marketed as “orchid soil,” it’s important to know there isn’t any actual soil in orchid mix. However, orchids will thrive in any of the commercial orchid potting media sold at retailers and garden centers.

Whether you mix it yourself or buy it ready-made — it must be wetted before you use it. Coconut coir or fiber is a suitable alternative if you can’t find German peat moss. The latter is a better choice for a potting mix for orchids. While special orchid mix blends may be marketed as “orchid soil,” it’s important to know there isn’t any actual soil in orchid mix. Even if you have some potting soil on hand, never use it for orchids. Many different types of orchid potting mixes exist. Remove the old, loose, rotted potting material and any soft, damaged, or dead roots.

You don’t have to do this if you’re using shallow, azalea-type pots. The orchid variety itself can dictate the ingredients in your mix. Cymbidium is a very popular terrestrial orchid that can withstand a slightly heavier orchid potting mix but cannot tolerate standing water. Coir comes in grades like bark. Did you know that there are more than 20,000 known species of orchid and even more hybrid varietals? It’s fantastic for potting orchids, so much so that one of its nicknames is “orchid peat.” But it is tough to obtain today. The best potting media for a moth orchid will be a combination of moss, bark, and synthetics to retain moisture without damp and avoid crowding the roots. With minimal preparation and a few basic steps, you can provide your prized plants with the environment they need to thrive. Epiphytic (plant-growing) orchids particularly love coconut coir. Seramis is a type of clay potting mix. Place a wooden or bamboo stake in the center of the pot, and tie up the new and old leads with soft string or twist ties. Osmunda fiber is still the medium of choice for epiphytic orchids when available.



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