Okay, so, I’ve been growing these cattleya orchids for a while now, and they were starting to look a bit cramped in their pots. You know, roots all over the place, sticking out and stuff. I figured it was time to give them a new home. It’s late winter here, so I thought, “Why not?”
I did a bit of digging around, and apparently, this is the best time to repot them. I saw some other folks saying that it should be done when the roots are overcrowded, every two years, or in the spring. I guess I hit the nail on the head, cuz it’s that time of the year, and my plants were definitely root-bound. It’s also good to check up on small seedlings, or newly potted plants, so I made sure to do that, too.
First things first, I gathered all my supplies. I got some new pots that were a bit bigger than the old ones, fresh orchid mix, and some scissors. Oh, and gloves, ’cause things can get messy.
Then, I carefully took the orchids out of their old pots. Man, those roots were a tangled mess! I gently untangled them as best as I could, and trimmed off any that looked dead or mushy.
- Took the orchids out of their old pots.
- Untangled the roots.
- Trimmed off dead roots.
Next, I put a layer of the new orchid mix in the bottom of the new pots. Then I placed the orchids in, making sure the roots were spread out nicely. I filled in around the roots with more orchid mix, pressing it down gently to make sure the plants were stable.
After that, I gave them a good watering to settle the mix and help the roots get comfy in their new home. I’ll be keeping a close eye on them over the next few weeks, making sure they’re doing okay and adjusting well.
It wasn’t too hard, really. Just took a little patience and a gentle touch. Hopefully, these orchids will be much happier now that they have more room to grow. I’m no expert, but I think they’ll do just fine. We’ll see how they’re doing in a few months!
