OK, now that my orchid has bloomed, and the flowers have passed away, š, what do I do at this point? I know she needs to be repotted, since that hasnāt been done in years, but do I cut the old stems off at the base or what? Iāve never done an orchid before, so Iām unfamiliar with what happens next. TIA for any answers. Regards, š¤ššŖ“
I would certainly cut these spikes at the base, especially since theyāve yellowed šš
3 Me gusta Thanks for that info; will do! But what next? Should I repot? Any info regarding future care? TIA, š¤ššŖ“
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I know repotting feels intimidating but itās a relatively straightforward process. And luckily phals are tough. Generally, youāll need to repot every 2-3 years or when the media is broken down. When you get ready to repot, I would first clip off the old inflorescences. Then give it a good soak as things are easier when hydrated. Take the orchid out of the pot and gently remove the media from the roots. Try get it all, but itās fine if you have to leave some so you donāt damage the roots. And donāt worry if you damage some roots. It isnāt great but it happens. Just try to minimize as much as possible. Examine the roots for health and pests. Trim off any dead or dying roots. Dead roots are papery or mushy, black or brown. Healthy roots are firm and green when wet, silvery when dry. Deeper into the media you may encounter pale yellow roots. It just means they havenāt been exposed to light. They are fine as long as they are firm. I would leave any wrinkled roots as long as they are firm. Use an orchid pot with additional ventilation. They are typically clear so you can monitor root development, and have ventilation holes on the sides of the pot. If you donāt have one, you can add holes to a growers pot or any other plastic pot you have on hand. Size the pot so that the roots just fit in the pot. They like a tight fit. To minimize transplant shock, use a similar mix to what it currently is in. If your plant is in sphagnum, I would repot using a mix of 50% sphagnum 50% bark. That will allow moisture to hang around long enough for the roots to take in what they want without cutting off air circulation. If you are a heavy waterer you can reduce the amount of sphagnum in your mix. My preference is straight bark. The key is a loose airy mix that will allow the roots to dry between waterings. Regardless of what mix you use, gently work it around the roots. I use an old chopstick for the job. The goal is to firmly seat the plant in the pot without packing the media. You want an airy mix that allows the roots to grab the water they want and then dry out. Some people like to wait a week or so before watering the plant again. I usually give it a quick drink to prince off any residual dust and help the media settle a bit. Regardless of what you do, you should be able to transition back to regular care pretty quickly. Good luck!
4 Me gusta Wow, I think you wrote nearly everything I need to know about repotting my orchid! Thank you so much for such a useful and descriptive text; I think I can do what you have suggested now. Iām looking forward to this task at this point. Regards, š¤ššŖ“
4 Me gusta Yay! I am so happy to hear that. Let us know how it turns out. One more thing - Miss Orchid Girl on YouTube has great instructional videos on repotting, general care and troubleshooting.
3 Me gusta Thanks for that info; I will watch Miss orchid girl. Looking forward to the video. š¤ššŖ“
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