Now that you know all about potting medium, let's put some of it to practical use. If you have not been following along, you may want to review my last two articles.
I have never figured out why the first thing a person wants to do when they buy a new orchid is to repot it! The only reason I can think of would be the way the plant's roots seem to grow out of the pot. I am sure that many of you are not use to having roots growing everywhere but in the pot, but for orchids, this is a typical thing for them to do. What you need to understand is most orchids are epiphytes, which are plants that naturally grow attached to other objects (usually trees). It is in their nature to send roots everywhere looking of more points to anchor themselves. Therefore, due to their nature, you will never be able to keep all of the roots inside a pot. Also the roots are alive providing nourishment to the plant. DO NOT cut off roots growing outside of the pot! IF you happen to have root rot these may be the only roots the plant has. Some people try to bury the roots that keep growing out side of the pot. This is not a good idea to do. There are two main types of roots, aerial and underground. All the roots consists of a central wiry thread which is surrounded by a moisture retaining part which in turn is coated by the white papery covering, called velamen. If you bury aerial roots they will suffocate and rot, if you expose underground roots to the air they will dry out and die.
That said, there really are times when orchids do need to be repotted. The main reasons you would want to repot your orchid include:
- A plant that has outgrown its pot (there is no room left for the next growth).
- When the potting medium is breaking down and decaying.
- If the orchid has developed root rot.
- If there is a visible salt build up on the potting medium.
