I was given a palaenopsis orchid several years ago. It bloomed for a long time, but then stopped and has not bloomed in at least a year until now. There are several buds on this orchid. It is in a very small pot and I am wondering if I should put the plant in a larger pot. Can you please tell me the best way to move this plant to a larger pot.
Dear gardener, thank you for such a nice question. It is a question that is very relevant for my own orchids. It is always nice to research a question when the answer is immediately useful.
The Phalaenopsis orchid (or moth orchid) is the most widely grown and most popular of indoor orchids with 73 true species, 7 subspecies, and a large number of varietal forms. The American Orchid Society will give you more information on where they come from and the different species.
The American Orchid Society has an excellent sheet on growing Phalaenopsis orchids. The Toronto Master Gardeners have a Gardening Guide on Orchids that will give you even more details.
From the gardening guide, here are some basics of care:
- Light: Phalaenopsis grow easily in our indoor conditions. They can grow in bright light (but not direct summer light) and thrive if placed a little away from a south-window, or in an east-facing window. They also respond well to artificial light. They should be kept above 16 degrees Centigrade.
- Water: Phalaenopsis pot plants do not have any source of water other than what you give them. Do not let them totally dry out, but make sure they are not sitting in water (the roots will rot). Soak the orchid in a bowl of water where the water level does not come past the crown of the root. Let it soak for 10-20 minutes and then drain it. Water it in the morning so that any drops of water in the crook of the leaves have time to dry during the day. The leaves must not be wet otherwise they are prone to crown rot. Water them with water that is room-temperature that has preferably been sitting on the counter for three hours to get rid of the chlorine. Do not give your orchids ice cubes!
- Fertilizer: The Southern Ontario Orchid Society recommends watering your plants with very dilute fish fertilizer each time you water the plants to keep up a very low-concentrate of fertilizer. You will need more fertilizer when the plant is blooming and less in deep winter.
You have asked three specific questions: why didn’t your orchid bloom last year; when is a good time to repot it since it is blooming now; and how do you repot an orchid? I will try and answer them in turn.
In regards to your orchid not blooming last year, the Royal Horticulture Society recommends that you move your orchid to an area that is about 5 degrees cooler than you normally have it for a month or two and that will get it back on track. There also seems to be two thoughts about what to do with the stalks after they have bloomed. Some say to leave the old stalks on (unless they have turned brown), and next year, blooms with emerge out of those stalks. But an expert from the Southern Ontario Orchid Society recommends cutting the stalks right down to the bottom where it meets the leaves, and that will encourage stronger stalks with more blooms next year. I suggest you experiment on what works for you.
Keep in mind that orchids very seldom need repotting at all. If you suspect that the fir bark medium is rotting, you could remove the medium and give the plant fresh medium but use the same sized pot.
If there are many aerial roots growing out of the pot, that is an indicator that it may need repotting. The American Orchid Society recommends that you do your repotting in the late spring and early summer, but most importantly, after your orchid has finished blooming. Do not interrupt it while it is in its full glory of colour.
You repot an orchid in a pot that is barely larger than the one it is in, since orchids like to be over-potted. Take it out of its medium and trim any of the roots that have rotten. The fresh fir bark-based medium for orchids can be found at most nurseries. The Toronto Master Gardener Gardening Guide on Orchids gives more details on the repotting process. Just keep in mind, that the fir bark medium should stop at the junction where the roots and the leaves meet.
May your orchid keep blooming and giving you pleasure.