I was gifted this beautiful orchid and the instructions state to submerge it in water for 5 minutes once a week then let it drain.
This was my first week doing so but I realized that the roots seem to be huge and overcrowded and I was wondering if that was normal or if I should transfer my orchid into a larger container?
Also, if not, would I need to transfer her (my orchid) to a larger container in the future? How would I know when its time?
by IndependenceOne6383
4 Comments
welcome to the orchid family🤗. Personally when I first started with orchids I was all up in r/orchids. Take a look and read through some posts. Missorchidgirl on YouTube has a lot of great beginner info (stay off tik tok there’s a lot of orchid specific misinformation). Orchid roots like to be a bit cramp. So don’t worry. Keep doing what you are doing. When the flowers fall you can pull it out and repot it to see what you are working with. That will also give you time to get some media that will work for you. Most people will say not to repot when it is blooming because they don’t like to be disturbed and you risk losing the flowers. Also avoid getting water in the leaf crevices. Always bottom water if you water from the top be very careful.
The American orchid society has a phalaenopsis care guide, and missorchidgirl on youtube has some good beginner videos. Soaking the roots for 15-30 minutes is the usual, but don’t do this if it’s never been repotted- there’s highly likely a nursery plug (foamlike thing) at the center of the pot that will rot the roots if it gets too wet. Also, don’t get water in the crown or leaf joints. It can get trapped in there and lead to crown rot.
Most phals are fine in a 4″ pot forever, with a 5-6″ needed only if the roots are super crammed in there. They’re epiphytes that cling to trees, not terrestrial plants, so their needs are a little different than you might expect.
Don’t water with ice cubes!!! It shocks them.
