Orchids That Can Be Split

Orchids with Back Bulbs Can Be Split

• Back bulbs are bulbs from a previous growing season. Virtually all orchids have root bulbs, which means that virtually all orchids can be split. Common varieties include Cymbidium, Beallara, Odontoglossum, Miltonia, Coelogyne, Dracula, Masdevallais and Paphiopedilums. These are the most common orchid varieties that the average home grower raises and each of them can be split. Splitting an orchid does not produce a clone of the original -- the split simply divides the original.

Provide a Suitable New Environment

• Put drainage material in the bottom of a growing pot large enough that the new orchid has room to grow for at least two to three years. Rocks or pieces of Styrofoam can be used to help drainage. Mix a good, sterile potting soil with shredded pine bark in a 50/50 mixture or prepare a well-draining soil of your own.

Remove Old Orchid From Root-Bound Pot

• Tap on the sides and bottom of the old pot and carefully remove the root-bound orchid you wish to divide. Place the orchid on its side on a sheet of newspaper. Use a trowel that has been wiped with a mixture of 50 percent household bleach and 50 percent water to make an incision into the roots of the existing orchid. Then, use your hands to pry the roots apart, making certain that you have at least three bulbs from a previous season and at least one healthy, green growing bulb from this season in your root clump. A large orchid can be divided into three or even more new plants in this manner.

Planting Your New Orchid

• Place your divided orchid into the new pot that you previously prepared. Add handfuls of the potting soil/pine bark mixture into the pot, packing gently around the roots of the orchid, until the new orchid is planted at the same depth as it was before you split the plant.

Water and Fertilize Well

• Water the newly potted orchid well with water laced with orchid fertilizer mixed at half the strength recommended by the manufacturer. Make certain that the pot is draining well, as orchids like moisture but their roots must not remain in standing water. Keep your orchid warm -- at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit -- and in a sunny location. Mist your new orchid several times a day with plain water.