At a certain stage, each grower from the cultivation of common house plants goes to exotic and capricious flowers that require special care. Capricious, despite their adaptation for life at home. These plants include the phalaenopsis orchid. Difficulties for flower growers begin when it becomes necessary to transplant an orchid.
When to transplant an orchid
Many people doubt the need to transplant the plant: sometimes they do it out of time, and sometimes they are in a hurry with this procedure. As a result, the plant dies or stops blooming. To avoid this, you need to clearly define in what conditions orchid transplantation is simply necessary, namely:
- the substrate has decomposed ahead of time;
- pests appeared in the pot (snails, millipedes, ticks, worms, etc.);
- the plant was flooded with water (because of the roots began to rot);
- the plant dangles in a pot;
- the root system of the flower does not fit in the pot;
- a year has passed since the purchase of an orchid;
- the previous plant transplant was 2 years ago.
Ideal time for replanting orchids
The spring months are the most favorable times for replanting orchids. During this period, the spring sun can smooth out all the stress that the plant will receive from a change of residence. From October to February, do not disturb the flower unless absolutely necessary.
In addition, it is worth considering the type of plant: if the flower belongs to the monopodial subspecies, then the orchid should be transplanted only with the appearance of green tips formed at the roots. Sympodial orchids are transplanted immediately after the emergence of new shoots, but always before their roots begin to grow.
Preparatory stage
An orchid transplant begins with drying it: the roots will still be damaged, however, dry wounds heal faster, even if bacteria have got into them. In the event that the flower is difficult to shake out of the pot, it can be moistened. The orchid should dry out before planting. It should be put to dry on a napkin for 8 hours. In a new pot, the flower should not be watered for about a week. You should also avoid direct sunlight on the plant.
Before transplanting an orchid, you need to prepare the following materials:
- small pruning shears;
- scissors;
- plastic pot with holes along the entire perimeter of the bottom;
- new bark;
- coal;
- alcohol (70%).
To avoid the transmission of bacteria, viruses or fungus, the pruning shears and scissors must be treated with alcohol. Also, this should be done before cutting off diseased parts of the orchid.
Plant transplant
At the first stage, the flower must be removed from the pot. To make this process as painful as possible for the flower, the pot must be held with both hands until the roots of the plant begin to separate from the walls.
Then you need to free the orchid roots from the substrate. It can be easily shaken out of them. In some cases it will be necessary to separate the roots to remove the substrate. In this case, you need to move from bottom to top. Those roots that have grown into the substrate should not be touched. It is useful to rinse the orchid roots in room temperature water.
Orchid transplant is a long process that requires care and accuracy from the grower. So, all the roots and substrate from which the plant was extracted must be carefully examined for the presence of pests.
If pests have been found, all the roots of the flower should be soaked in water for several hours. This will lead to the death of most of them. Pests need to be identified and only then the orchid should be treated with a suitable product.
Then you need to cut off all rotten and dead roots. The latter are easy to identify if you squeeze them with your fingers: they will be empty or liquid will leak out of them.
It is not recommended to touch other roots, even if some of them are broken. This can negatively affect the health of the entire plant.
You can transplant the orchid into a larger pot, but this is not necessary. Dendrobiums prefer tight pots, while sympodial orchids are best planted in a large transparent container. The first step is to fill the pot with ⅓ drainage. Expanded clay, granite stones or polystyrene are perfect for this. To make the container more stable, and it is convenient to water the flower, several granite stones are often placed on the bottom of the pot. First you need to check them: drip a few drops of vinegar.
The plant is planted in a pot and covered with portions of a new substrate. Periodically, the container needs to be tapped on the table. After transplanting, the orchid should not wobble in the pot. Large pieces of bark should be placed at the bottom of the pot, smaller pieces on top.
If you transplant an orchid into an old pot, it must be pre-treated with 70% alcohol. The plant should not be watered for the next five days after transplanting. You can only spray the leaves.
Post-transplant care
Some time after transplanting an orchid, you need to observe it: a healthy plant will quickly recover from the “change of residence” and will begin to grow at an accelerated pace.
Unhealthy plants that were pruned during transplantation require special attention. For them, you need to maintain a certain level of humidity. Phalaenopsis is placed together with the pot in a plastic bag, and then periodically ventilated.
Orchid care tips
Transplanting an orchid is stressful for the plant. Some of them may not even recover from it. Proper care will make the flower stronger and prevent root decay. Accordingly, this will avoid problems with the flowering of the orchid.
- It is necessary to maintain a certain temperature regime. The optimum temperature is between 15-28 ° C;
- high level of air humidity. Every day the flower must be sprayed;
- good lighting. The development and flowering of the orchid will depend on this.
Orchid transplant is a necessary, and in some cases a necessary process, on which it will depend on whether the plant will continue to live or not.
