Magnificent plants, the flowers of which resemble bright tropical butterflies, and the stems are gracefully curved, are loved by flower growers all over the world. Orchids bought in the store for a long time delight the eye, preserving beautiful flowers on the stems for up to several months. Orchids are quite strong plants with good adaptability to external conditions, but caring for them is far from simple.
In their natural habitat, orchids live on the bark of trees and are not limited in growth. They love humid air and open spaces. Caring for epiphytes is different from caring for land plants. Before acquiring an exotic flower, you need to figure out in advance how to water and spray, how to transplant an orchid. At home, plants are contained in a substrate of moss and tree bark in dry and insufficiently bright rooms. In order for the orchid to grow well and throw buds, certain rules must be observed.
Why transplant an orchid?
Orchid is tender, capricious, poorly restores the root system. Do I need to transplant the orchid at all, or let it grow?
It’s still necessary to transplant. There are a number of reasons for this:
- Staying in place. The plant has been in its pot for more than 2 years. The substrate is compressed, leaks moisture worse, does not breathe, is impregnated with salts supplied with water. How often to transplant an orchid depends on the filler. If bark is used as a substrate, the plant can live in it for up to 4 years. Artificial fillers must be changed every 2 years, moss - annually.
- Unexpected surprise. The orchid brought from the store mercilessly flooded with water, potted earth or peat, the roots in poor condition. When rotting roots appear, it is necessary to transplant immediately!
- Strange smell. When the smell of rot, mold, leafy leaves, the plant is better transplanted.
- Our regiment arrived. The orchid had children, the roots overflowed the pot and bulged out. With good care, the orchid grows and needs resettlement, then the question may arise about how to transplant the orchid at home.
If the plant does not need an emergency transplant, then during flowering and active growth of the roots, it is better not to disturb the flower. Usually it is spring and the beginning of summer.
Transplant Rules
The period of relative rest of most orchids is the beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn. If the plant does not observe the growth of new shoots and leaves, it is time to look for information on how to transplant an orchid.
At home, you can make an excellent substrate using steamed bark of pine or oak sawn about a year ago. If the substrate was bought in a store, peat and garbage should be removed from it, leaving only moss and bark.
The pot is needed from glass or transparent plastic with large drainage holes. Roots can grow into a ceramic pot, in addition, the absence of light will slow down the process of photosynthesis. The pot should be more spacious than the previous one. You will also need a clean sharp knife, cinnamon, charcoal or sulfur and a wooden stick. You need to know in advance how to transplant an orchid at home and what to prepare.
An hour before transplanting, the substrate must be well moistened by pouring warm water. This will make it relatively easy to remove the plant from the pot. If the roots are stuck, they can be carefully separated from the walls with a stick. Before landing at the bottom of a new pot, drainage must be placed, after boiling it. Top up ¼ of the volume with a substrate.
When separating the roots from the old pot, difficulties may arise. If it is not possible to separate without loss, you can break the pot or cut it. When the plant is extracted, it is necessary to carefully clean the roots of the old filler with your fingers. If the roots are healthy, it is allowed to leave part of the substrate on them. If the putrefactive process begins, it is better to clean them completely, use a warm shower and wash away any debris from them. With a knife, you should remove the rotted parts of the plant, rinse in water, sprinkle the places of cuts with cinnamon or charcoal.
Welcome - planting in a new pot
The plant is kept on weight over the pot, the roots are carefully lowered inward and evenly covered with new filler. It is impossible to press, tamper. You can tap on the walls and push small pieces inside with a stick, trying not to harm the roots.
If some of the roots do not fit in the pot, they can be left outside.
After transplanting, put in a humid shaded place, spray daily with warm water. Do not water the week, do not feed for a month.