re potting???

[c.mcadams]

Hey Guys,
I was just wondering how often you suggest re potting. Also, should I always go to a bigger pot or just replace the medium?
Thanks,
Chuck

[Willc73]

I grow Phals. I don't repot very often. They usually stay in the same pot for 4 or 5 years. As far as Phals go, only repot when the medium is badly decayed or the plant has completely grown out of the pot. I have phals that have done fine with 5 year old bark that has decayed into complete mush.

[janet_a]

depends on your medium. cheap sphag can concretize in 6 mos. bark lasts longer, but if you get some sort of cooties, you're going to need to repot. i'm trying to get in the habit of repotting once a year just for hygiene's sake (lost a couple plants to crown rot. )

after you clean off your roots, go into a pot that will fit the rootball. sometimes this will be smaller, sometimes the same size, sometimes it will be that five gallon bucket you use when you wash the car....

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Phals, Vandas (monopodials), and Paphs can be repotted any time, tho preferably when they need to be repotted due to failing mix for Phals and Vandas, and once to twice a year for Paphs because they are very picky about the freshness of the mix(Phrags too??). Sympodials like the Catt alliance, Dens, and the Oncidium alliance should be repotted when the newest growth is just starting its flush of new roots. At this point any damage done to the roots in repotting will be repaired by all the new roots coming out. Since this is generally only once a year, you will have to cut back on watering to keep the roots from dying if the mix starts to go bad at the wrong time of the year. Cutting back on watering just the right amount can extend the use of bad mix for some time.

[c.mcadams]

Soooo, what if I have an Odm., I think it was you who told me before to treat it like a Phal., does that still hold true?

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Not when it comes to repotting, only to growing conditions. Also, some Odontoglossums need a cooler environment, which I think I did mention. But, back to repotting. Once every two to three years is about right for an Odonts, Oncidium alliance plants. But you want to do it when the new growth is at a point where it is producing its first roots. This can be difficult to see if the base of the new growth is half burried in the mix. So, try to see when a new growth is starting if you can tease away a bit of mix to see the bottom of the new growth to be able to see the roots start.

[jerrymeola]

I am beginning to be frightened by the talk on the forum about re-potting because of everyone failing to mention that it is even more important to re-pot to remove dying roots.

All roots die regularly. It is a part of life.

Cattleya especially can have more bad roots in a pot than good ones on a very healthy plant. Usually the plant survives regardless of the rot, but will always do better when the bad roots are removed.

Removal of the roots encourages new root growth and that is always very healthy for the plant. With tropical plants nurseries will often remove a plant and cut off one inch of roots. With orchids, I always remove the soft or dried out roots especially in the center of the pot. New roots are cut back to 3 inches and then the plant is fitted into a pot based on the new plant size. This may sound drastic, but in the far east most roots are cut off at the time of re-potting. It really makes for a stronger plant in the long run.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Now it is my turn to get frightened every time you repeat the fact that in the orient they cut off a good portion of the roots. This is fine for a humid climate like the orient, or even the humid climate of Florida, but always warn the newbie when you repeat this that in the average home, or even in my humidity challanged greenhouse, reducing the root mass could result in a plant being unable to keep up with the loss of moisture thru the leaves due to low humidity. Not to mention that many newbies have already managed to kill off a large percentage of the roots, and cutting off any existing roots can be dangerous for people who have know idea what a healthy root system looks like.

I have no problem with removing dead roots, provided the repotter knows the difference. After clearly dead roots are removed, the worst looking roots, generally those of the oldest bulbs, can be sniped off with a sterilized tool, starting with the end of the root looking at the cut to see if there is what looks like live tissue in the cut, and working upward toward the plant and then working toward the newer bulbs. In this way, the newbie can learn what live roots are like, and feel the firmness of the living and dead roots to see what the difference is. Once a person learns what a well rooted plant looks like, cutting off the bottom 1" does not bother me for these plants.

[c.mcadams]

O.K. this is the deal....I"m real new to orchids, I've been training bonsai for a few years but this rate of growth is very new to me. I just lost my flowers about two weeks ago, there are two smaller growths, but all the sudden a little baby growth appeared...........thats why I was wondering about repotting....also, the big leaf of the main growth (the one that just dropped the flowers) looks very healthy, but the big leaf of the second growth is looking kinda yellow with dark spots.......I dont know whats going on.
But, the big thing is....this is an Odontoglossum, which evidently throws most rules out the window (picked a good one to start with huh?)..........

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

The Oncidium alliance plants will generally hold the leaf that grows from the top of the bulb for several years, but the leaves that clasp the side of the bulb are shorter lived. So this may be normal leaf loss. Odontogloosums and Oncidiums do not keep their flowers for as long as a Phalaenopsis, so again the flower loss may be normal. New growth is normal every year, do don't confuse this with a keiki on a Phal bloom spike. The new growth is the part of the plant that will give you flowers next year

One more comment about repotting. Generally, except for Paphs, we repot only when we have to, meaning when the mix has broken down. To determine this for bark, put a finger on top of the mix and press down. If you finger goes into the mix, it is decaying and you should repot in season, watching the watering until it is time to repot. If the mix presses back, it is still good and don't repot. If the plant has over grown the pot, you can repot in season, or just move up to a larger pot and fill in around with mix IF the old mix is still good. But the future need to repot is determined by the old mix, not the new.

[c.mcadams]

When you say repot in season, do you mean while flowering?

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Flowering Season: Monopodials , like Phals and Vandas, don't have a season, so normally any time is OK, except if you are growing them in a rather cool environment, where growth will slow down, so in winter with a cool room, just wait till late spring or summer.

Sympodials, like Catts, Oncidiums, and Dens, Those that produce a chain of consecutive growths, are repotted when the newest growth is just starting its first flush of new roots. At that point there are a lot of hormones for producing roots, and any damage done to the root system in the repotting process will be replaced by new roots.

Paphs are sympodials, but have tough roots and can be repotted any time, usually once or twice a year.