Scared to Repot...what if's

[Tommyr]

Originally Posted by Myst

what if i do it wrong?
what if i harm the plant?
what if i use the wrong medium?
what if i do it at the wrong time?
what if i do it wrong.....................???????

Orchids are not babies or Faberge(sp?) eggs. They can take quite a bit of abuse. RELAX and give it a try! Google orchid repotting and read! You CAN do it.

[Lagoon]

I don't see where you or anyone else has the choice, it's a big part of the hobby. You'll have to muster up the guts and just do you're best
Don't put too much drama into it. You'll be fine, I know you will. The more orchids you re pot, the better you will be at it. 1 Day you're going to be a real pro!

Stop the worries Myst!

[Myst]

you guys are very supportive thank you very much

[nhman]

As previously said, hang in there.
Do your research about what each orchid "likes" for potting mix.......and give it that mix.
Find out what pot or basket would be better....and give it that planter.
Find out what growing conditions the orchid wants.....and give it that.
To paraphrase the old adage of orchid care - we can always find out what the orchid wants - soon after we end up killing it.
They are truly remarkable plants and much more resilient than most give them credit for - ask anyone that's "tried" to kill one and have it surprise them by still growing despite our "best efforts".....at trying to kill it! Good luck. Just go for it.

[RosieC]

Even I would agree to go for it... I almost killed the first/only one I've tried to re-pot but I still think you should re-pot rather than leave it in old breaking down medium.

Read as much as you can first then go for it.

But avoid my mistake... one site (not this one) said to trim the roots to fit the pot... big mistake. Trim the dead roots but do not trim the healthy ones or you will end up like me with a Phal which has only two roots left as all the others died after they were cut.

[Amanda L]

Myst you sound like I did when I first joined the Orchid Board. I still have a lot of worry about whether I'm doing things right or not. Is my lighting correct? Do those roots look bad to you? OMG, my Dendrobium's leaves are turning yellow! What do I do, what do I do??!! Don't worry so much, that's a lot coming from me, a huge worry wart. But, re potting isn't a big issue, unless you have a whole bunch, then it's only a big job. Be gentle with the roots so you don't damage them, removing all the old media from them. I run mine under the tap and rub them gently with my fingers. You don't have to treat it like it will fall apart on you, it won't. Gently squeeze the roots that are in question, if they are soft and feel hollow, then cut it off. Plump and stiff, your good!! I'm still learning, but re potting is something I started early. Trust me i have found some pretty bad roots from re potting store bought chids. It's better to re pot and be safe, then have your baby die, because you didn't know it was rotting in it's pot. Don't worry if it's in bloom, I have yet to lose a bloom due to re potting. As has been said before, orchids are hardier than most people, including myself at first, give them credit for. Everyone has different preferences for potting mix, I prefer bark/charcoal, some prefer sphagnum moss, some prefer to mount. It's ultimately up to you and your plant. Well, best of luck to you!! Let us know how things went!

[D-D-]

Hi, Just a comment from an old observer. Mankind would not be placed as it is with the other animals if eveyone considered those posibilities. D-D-

[Myst]

wait a minute D-D that was too profound of a comment for me...
now im rethinking this whole thread!

WHAT IF
its actually ME that needs to be repotted?

my head hurts now

[let_it_grow]

LMAO Myst... I may need to be repotted too. I love my chids and i do everything I can for them within reason. I wont worry and get all anxious about repotting, I'm not gonna use surgical equipment and a mask and spend 6hrs on each plant cause i simply dont have that much time. I'm careful but sometimes roots break and sometimes i cut a root by accident but S#!T happens, I have never had a plant die cause I repotted it wrong. I find the hardest plants to repot are the ones potted in moss. You have to soak them and use a tootpick or tweezers to get the moss out of the rootball.