How to properly repot your Phalaenopsis orchids

Repotting is part of the regular maintenance of your Phalaenopsis orchid. Ideally, you will be able to change the substrate of your orchid (it is sometimes called "potting soil" but it should definitely not contain soil or compost! Epiphytic orchids, like Phalaenopsis, grow on trees, without soil. Adding compost, soil or peat, to a Phalaenopsis, will not allow its roots to breathe properly and could harm it in the long term):

• Every two to three years
• In spring, outside the flowering period

What substrate should I use?

We use a mixture of pine bark (maritime from Portugal or Sumatra) of different sizes depending on the species of orchid to be repotted. Here we are dealing with Phalaenopsis for which we use medium-sized bark (1 to 2 cm). We add sphagnum (a plant moss) which helps retain a little more moisture.

We recommend purchasing your special orchid potting medium from a specialist to ensure its quality. The substrate we offer is clean, dust-free, and free of any wood or stone residue.

Preparing your orchid for repotting

To repot your orchid, you'll need to remove it completely from its plastic pot. To make this step easier, water it with clean water as you do every week, so the roots will be more flexible. Then, simply pull gently on the base of the orchid, while holding the pot firmly. You can also gently press down on the pot to loosen the roots from the wall.

Clean the orchid roots

Now you can remove all the old bark from the roots of your Phalaenopsis orchid and remove the dead roots. Use clean pruning shears (disinfected with rubbing alcohol or flamed) and prune off the black, dry roots (dry roots are those that are soft when moistened).

The small, oldest leaves can also be removed (one to two pairs, no more).

Place the orchid back in its pot

The plant is cleaned, you can put it back in its pot (or in a pot of a larger diameter if it has grown well).

Make sure to place the plant a little lower than before in the pot to ensure good rooting and stability.

You can hold the plant at the right level with one hand and with your other hand you can come and place the new potting substrate.

Fill the pot with substrate

You can place substrate around the roots of your Phalaenopsis while holding the plant in place with one hand.

Pack the bark regularly to ensure the plant is well supported.

If you used moistened substrate, you will wait ten days before resuming watering; if the substrate was dry, you can water abundantly the next day.

Repotting should ideally be done every two or three years.

We wish you a good repotting!