Many people refer to potting soil as “dirt” but that can certainly be misleading. To grow healthy, vibrant and productive plants; whether they are orchids or any other type of indoor or outdoor plants; rich soil that is sufficiently endowed with the nutrients and minerals that are needed for the particular plants in question. In other words, plants do not need dirt, they need good soil in which the can thrive.

A successful orchid grower will continually strive to emulate nature by giving his or her orchid plants the same or close to the same conditions that they had in their natural habitats in the wild. That requires a replication of the temperature range, the humidity levels, the amounts of water, the intensity of light and the type of soil.

With a sincere willingness to make the effort and with some attention to details, duplicating your orchid plant’s natural environment is really not all that difficult and imitating the soil is actually quite easy. Just keep in mind that orchids are epiphytic plants which means that their roots must continually breathe air.

So, packing your orchids in regular potting soil will only deprive the air circulation their root systems require. Instead, give them a potting mix that consists of redwood or fir tree bark chips, coconut husk, volcanic lava rocks, granular charcoal, sphagnum moss or sifted perlite which will hold the plants upright within their pots and your orchids will feel just as they had before having been transported from their rainforests where they grew on tree trunks and branches with their roots never actually touching or penetrating the ground.

Many of the more experienced orchid growers like to mix at least two or three of the above mentioned media into each of their pots. And since healthy orchid plants usually outgrow their pots within 12 to 24 months and since the potting soil usually breaks down within that similar span of time, it is wise to keep plenty of orchid soil on hand for repotting.

And when repotting, do so when your plants are most dormant which is usually in early or mid spring. When in the process of repotting, be very careful not to damage any of the delicate roots but be quick about pruning off any parts of the root systems that has browned and dried up while also removing every bit of the old potting material.

The video below beautifully demonstrates the process of repotting.
Watching it is time well spent.

Fill the new and perhaps larger pot with the fresh, new orchid soil which should be more accurately called orchid potting media but be careful that it only reaches up to the crown of the plant. If need be, place a stake to support the orchid plant until it settles in and is able to remain standing upright on its own. Always remember that the orchid roots must have free flowing air and that the larger the chips, the more air will flow in and around them.

Now, for more helpful tips and useful information about orchids and their care, please browse through the multitudes of pages available to you at this Orchid Care.org website.

Filed under: Orchid Supplies

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