Re-potting my orchids

I know it has been a few weeks. I apologize. Life just got busy. But, to pick up where I left off...

Re-potting Orchids

Since my last post I acquired yet ANOTHER phalaenopsis orchid. I do not know WHAT the bloom looks like as it was already mostly dormant. But you tell me....How could I have passed up this deal??

The pots I like to use are
glazed both on the inside
and outside.

Whenever I buy a new orchid from the store, no matter if it it in bloom, or not, I re-pot them. You never know how the store took care of the plants when they had them. Also, I do NOT like the pots they come in...They are all plastic-which I've read works fine, but I have a personal preference on the pots I use & they have not failed me yet.

So I prepare to re-pot my orchid-I recommend a nice clean spot on your counter...I occasionally put down a towel too, my bag of Orchid potting mix. A clean sink, trash can nearby, and this is VERY important...CLEAN scissors. As I trim the roots to the plant, clean scissors are a MUST. You do not want to get any contaminants into the root system, as these are your plants lifeline. And I try to only trim off dead or decaying roots, as if there are injured roots, the plant will try to concentrate on them instead of the rest of the plant. Remember:

Healthy roots = healthy plants

I actually run my scissors through the dishwasher on a regular basis.

Before re-potting in the liner pot

Now, I begin by removing the plant from its pot that it came in and dispose of the dirt.  Notice in the picture how bound up the roots are? And in this particular case, there was standing water in the pot. This is a BAD thing. I've read plenty about caring for my orchids, and I know that they like well drained soil. Now-I use pots that do NOT have drain holes, so I am very careful not to water too often or too much. Don't worry-I an not a perfect person-I have gone back the next day to check my plants for any standing water in the base of the pot & occasionally, I have had to turn it over & drain it.

Notice the black shriveled roots?
These are not healthy roots.

After I gently remove the dirt from the roots, I inspect them for any rotting roots. I tend to run the cold water slowly in my sink & gently trim away any roots that look unhealthy. This particular plant, had quite a few that I trimmed under the running water until I only had healthy roots remaining. When I first got my orchids, I had read something about trimming any roots that were longer than 6-8" long, and occasionally I still do that, but apparently that is not a common practice, because as I continue to read about orchid care, I do not see anyone recommending this practice.

After I removed the dead and dying roots, this is what was
left. Be very gentle not to break the healthy roots.

Now I take my clean pot, and clean root orchid and I place a little bit of the soil into the bottom of the pot and hold the plant in place in the pot. I then gently pour the dirt over the top of the plant, tap the pot on the counter to allow the dirt to sift itself through the roots and settle gently, but not too tightly around them. Once that is done I water the plant again, not too much as it has probably already gained enough water for the day from trimming the roots under running water, just enough to help moisten the soil & if any settling occurs, add a little more soil to the top. The plant is now re-potted. Occasionally after a few waters, I will need to add a bit more dirt, but that is ok. 

To me-this plant looks MUCH more
comfortable than it was before.

Now to water, and wait for the next bloom stalk to grow. I will be able to REALLY start my experiment once the new bloom stalk starts to grow. I re-potted 3 orchids yesterday and I can't wait to see how they progress.