| Newly purchased orchids should not be needed to be re-potted for one to two years.
I recommend re-potting only when the medium in which it is growing is too decomposed to keep the plant healthy (2-3 years for bark) or when the plant just does not look good anymore in how it fits the pot.
In general you have to remove all the old potting medium wash the roots and remove any dead or decaying roots. Often they can be re-potted in the same size pot from which they came with new potting medium.
Because of the stress from handling the roots and cutting many, it is recommended to re-pot only when the plant is actively growing and you see new roots developing. This is usually abut a month after the plant is finished flowering. This enables the plant to replace any bad roots that were removed.
You should up size pots no more than one inch a year. Using too large a pot is a major cause of problems for beginners. The plants want to be pot bound. If not, the plant spends all it strength growing roots rather than leaves and flowers.
You should lower the amount of water and fertilizer after re-potting. The roots are stressed and do not absorb as much water as before. Your normal watering technique can now be too much. Be gentle until you see new growth.
Each family of plants has some different requirements, so identify the family of orchid you have and ask for more advice if you feel you have to re-pot. you probably can leave them as they are.
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jerry  |