Phalaenopsis love and want to be repotted on an annual basis.
Your Phalaenpsis should be repotted every year after they are finished blooming. This is normally around the beginning of summer, but it could be a different time if the plant bloomed off the regular schedule. When choosing a container, you want the roots of the plant to just barely fill the new container. Phalaenopsis are actually air plants and will grow up and out of the container, rather than become established in it, so you do not need to leave room for the roots to expand considerably. We recommend a soil mix that holds water more than traditional orchid mixes. We sell our own specialized Phalaenopsis mix at select retailers and here. Or, you can make your own by mixing a traditional orchid mix (which is comprised mostly of bark) and regular potting soil at a ratio of 1:1. Phalaenopsis require more water than other orchids that are commercially available which necessitates the extra capacity to hold water.
Follow these steps to pot your Phalaenopsis properly:
1.) Pull the plant out of its previous container and gently shake the soil off of the roots.
2.) Cut off any roots that are black or decaying.
3.) Hover the plant over the new container so that the crown of the Phalaenopsis (that part of the plant where the roots and leaves meet) is at the top of the pot. Begin pouring soil into the pot, letting it settle around the roots.
4.) When the pot is full of soil, give the pot a tap on your work surface to settle the soil. If it goes down, place a little more soil on the top again. Do not press the soil down into the pot with your fingers like you would a normal plant. This will compact the soil too much.
5.) Water the plant very well with a gentle overhead sprayer.
6.) Your new plant is ready to grow and thrive and prepare for a beautiful blooming season the next year!
Your Phalaenpsis should be repotted every year after they are finished blooming. This is normally around the beginning of summer, but it could be a different time if the plant bloomed off the regular schedule. When choosing a container, you want the roots of the plant to just barely fill the new container. Phalaenopsis are actually air plants and will grow up and out of the container, rather than become established in it, so you do not need to leave room for the roots to expand considerably. We recommend a soil mix that holds water more than traditional orchid mixes. We sell our own specialized Phalaenopsis mix at select retailers and here. Or, you can make your own by mixing a traditional orchid mix (which is comprised mostly of bark) and regular potting soil at a ratio of 1:1. Phalaenopsis require more water than other orchids that are commercially available which necessitates the extra capacity to hold water.
Follow these steps to pot your Phalaenopsis properly:
1.) Pull the plant out of its previous container and gently shake the soil off of the roots.
2.) Cut off any roots that are black or decaying.
3.) Hover the plant over the new container so that the crown of the Phalaenopsis (that part of the plant where the roots and leaves meet) is at the top of the pot. Begin pouring soil into the pot, letting it settle around the roots.
4.) When the pot is full of soil, give the pot a tap on your work surface to settle the soil. If it goes down, place a little more soil on the top again. Do not press the soil down into the pot with your fingers like you would a normal plant. This will compact the soil too much.
5.) Water the plant very well with a gentle overhead sprayer.
6.) Your new plant is ready to grow and thrive and prepare for a beautiful blooming season the next year!