2. After it has flowered, repot. Most store-bought orchids come packaged in cheap plastic pots. There is no or limited airflow, the plant cannot breath and root rot is inevitable. Orchid roots are highly specialised organs designed to soak up water very quickly and breathe. So the golden rule for orchid success is to recreate the plant’s natural environment as closely as possible. After the bloom is done, go ahead and cut off the dead flower spike with a sterile secateurs and repot the plant. In nature, most orchids are epiphytes, meaning they grow on other objects, clinging to rough bark or even stone. The closer you can come to creating these conditions in your growing area, the more success and better blooms you will have.
3. Give it the necessary nutrients. While in bloom, feed the orchids weekly with a weak solution of water-soluble or liquid fertiliser. Use Culterra Multisol P 2:3:2 (43) with trace elements added at a quarter of the dilution strength. Or use a liquid fertiliser like Pokon for Orchids imported from Holland. Orchids should be potted into specialised orchid pots in Culterra Orchid Mix. Orchid pots feature wide drainage slits so water will literally run through the pot. Orchid potting mixture is usually composed of several chunky ingredients, including pine bark, peat moss and charcoal.
How do I repot my Orchid:
Remove it from the plastic pot and carefully remove as much of the moss from the roots as you can. Healthy roots should be white and firm, with a small growing point. Cut away any shrivelled, rotten or blackened roots. Set the plant into the pot and fill in around it with Culterra Orchid Mix. The plant should be firmly situated, but it will not be completely anchored. Eventually, new roots will grow through the potting mixture and attach to the pot itself, thus anchoring your plant. Once the orchid is re-potted, find a good spot. An east facing window with a few hours of mild morning sun is perfect.
Remember to repot your orchid every 2-3 years, as bark does eventually decompose.
