Does this need repotting?

[AnitaPita]

I now have 2 orchid "children" hee hee! My fiance brought another home for me. This one looks very healthy but the roots are everywhere...is this normal? Does it need repotting? See pics below....wow I can feel a new obsession starting. I'm thinking about going to another floral shop in town, I checked and they just received a new shipment!

[Eyebabe]

Yes it needs to be repotted; but don't make the pot much bigger than what you have...maybe one inch bigger.
My goodness this is a healthy orchid!
Congratulations

[jgilbert]

OOh I agree - such beautiful roots! If it came in a see-thru pot it's probably a Phal (Phalaenopsis or moth orchid) whose roots carry out photosynthesis -be sure to repot it in another clear pot so the roots get some light too.

[Rosiefuture]

Oh wow Anita! That is one glossy, healthy Phal! Huge amount of really healthy looking roots. Yes, a pot just slightly larger would do the trick.

[RosieC]

Great looking Phal.

I would repot that in another slightly bigger clear pot.

Clear pots are great for Phals, one reason is that as has been said above the roots can photosynthesis, but another is that you can judge watering by the colour of the roots. When they look green it doesn't need watering, when they look silvery (right down at the bottom) it needs water.

When you repot remove all the existing bark (as much as you can without damaging the roots, soak it to get some of the last bits off) and use new medium. Most people favour bark mix, my BIG tip is make sure it's high quality, I've nearly killed Phals in the past using poor quality bark.

[sii]

I'm jealous!

[jrodpad]

What a beast! That phal is huge and healthy as a horse. Great advice above about repotting - the only thing I'll add is make sure you pre-soak the new bark mix before repotting - I try and pre-soak for at least 24 hours, rinsing out the bark mix every so often with new water to clear away the dust and debris.

Is this guy still in bloom? If so, please post pics of the flowers.

Good luck!

- J

[FairyInTheFlowers]

This orchid should totally be repotted, but if it is in flower, wait for it to finish, because the shock of repotting could cause bud drop, even though this phal is really healthy!

[RosieC]

That's a good point and I totally agree.

If an orchid has root problems it's best to repot even if it's in flower, but with yours that looks so healthy I think it can wait until the flowers are done.