Hello, human. I am a Dendrobium orchid. While I appreciate your care, my roots are feeling quite cramped in this old pot, and the media around me is breaking down, holding too much moisture. It's time for you to help me move. From my perspective, here is how we can do this together with minimal stress.
Please do not repot me while I am in bloom; it wastes too much of my precious energy. The ideal time is when you see new growth emerging from my base and fresh, green root tips appearing. This is my signal that I am entering an active growth phase and am best equipped to handle the transition and establish myself in a new home.
Gather a new pot that is only slightly larger than my old one—I prefer being slightly pot-bound. Ensure it has excellent drainage holes. My roots desperately need air, so please use a very coarse, fast-draining medium like fir bark chunks or sphagnum moss mixed with perlite. Have sterilized pruning shears ready. Please, soak the new medium in water beforehand; it makes it easier for you to work with and ensures I get immediate moisture.
Water me lightly the day before to make my roots more flexible. Gently squeeze the old pot to loosen my grip and tip me out. Do not pull on my canes! Once I am out, your job is to carefully remove all the old media from my root mass. This might require gently teasing it apart with your fingers and rinsing me with lukewarm water.
Now, inspect my roots closely. Healthy roots are firm and white or green with silvery tips. Any roots that are brown, black, mushy, or papery are dead or dying and must be removed. They can rot and spread disease in my new pot. Use those sterilized shears to make clean cuts, removing only the compromised parts. This, while it may seem harsh, is vital for my health and allows me to focus energy on growing new, strong roots.
Place a layer of the new, pre-moistened medium in the bottom of the new pot. Position me in the center. My newest growth should be positioned toward the longest side of the pot, giving it room to develop. Gently spread my healthy roots out. Then, carefully fill in around the roots with the new medium. Do not pack it down tightly! Tap the pot gently to settle the media around my roots. I need those air pockets.
Do not water me immediately after repotting. Wait for about a week to ten days. This allows any tiny wounds on my roots from pruning to callus over, preventing rot. Place me in a shaded, warm, and humid spot with good air circulation for a few weeks. Hold off on fertilizer until you see me pushing out new roots into the fresh media, signaling that I have successfully settled into my new home.
