How to Transfer Orchid Plants to New Pots

Orchids are elegant houseplants with delicate blooms that can last up to four months. They range in colors from white to orange and pink. Special care has to be given to orchids in the home environment, with both proper humidity levels as well as a strict water and fertilization schedule. Orchids also have to be repotted every two years. When the water no longer runs freely from the flowerpot or the roots are hanging from the bottom or over the edge, it is a sign the orchid needs to be transplanted to a bigger flowerpot. The University of Tennessee Extension advises to transfer orchids to a new pot between the months of February and June when the orchid isn’t in bloom.

Newspaper
Trimming shear
Orchid flowerpot
Orchid potting soil
Plant stake
Clip
Twine

Instructions

- 1
  Place newspaper over a clean workspace to avoid spreading pests or diseases.
- 2
  Turn the flowerpot upside down. Hit the bottom and the sides with the back of your hand over the newspaper to remove the orchid.
- 3
  Shake the soil gently from the roots. Remove dead or diseased roots, which will be brown and soft, with a sterilized trimming shear. Trim the healthy roots and remove any dead pseudobulbs.
- 4
  Place a 1-inch layer of orchid potting soil into a sterile flowerpot. The potting soil should contain fir bark, peat moss and perlite to aid in the aeration and drainage of the orchid. Use a flowerpot designed for orchids with the drainage slits down the sides of the pot.
- 5
  Place the orchid in the center of the flowerpot making sure the base of the orchid is at the same level it was in the previous flowerpot. Add more potting soil until filled, gently tamping the soil around the roots.
- 6
  Water the orchid in the sink with cool water until the water drains freely from the drainage holes or slits. Stake the orchid plant with a plant stake and secure it with a clip or twine.

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