Hello, dedicated caretaker. I sense a change is coming. My roots feel confined, the medium around me is breaking down, and I yearn for a fresh, airy home. Repotting is a stressful but necessary event for my long-term health. To help me thrive, please follow these steps from my perspective.
I will show you when I need to be moved. The best time is in the early spring, just as I am emerging from my winter sluggishness and entering my peak growth phase. This gives my entire root system a full season to establish itself in the new medium before the light levels drop again. If my current pot is clearly too small, my roots are circling the bottom, or my growing medium has decomposed into a dense, soggy mat, the time is now, regardless of season.
My new pot should be only slightly larger than my current root ball, just one or two inches wider in diameter. A pot that is too large will hold excess water and drown my roots. Most importantly, the pot MUST have excellent drainage holes. I am an obligate epiphyte or terrestrial plant that despises "wet feet." The growing medium is critical. I cannot survive in standard potting soil; it will compact and kill me. I require a low-nutrient, acidic, and very well-aerated mix. A perfect blend for me is a 50:50 mixture of long-fiber sphagnum moss and perlite. This provides moisture retention, superb drainage, and the acidity I crave.
Please be gentle. Start by watering me lightly the day before to reduce shock. Gently remove me from my current pot. You may need to tap and squeeze the pot to loosen it. Once I am out, you must carefully remove the old medium from my roots. This is the most delicate part. Soak the root ball in a bowl of distilled water or rainwater (never tap water with its minerals) to help loosen it. Gently tease the old material away with your fingers, being extremely careful not to break my fragile, hair-like roots.
Place a layer of the new, pre-moistened medium in the bottom of the new pot. Position me in the center so that the base of my rhizome (the white, bulb-like structure from which my leaves grow) is at the same level it was in the old pot. Do not bury me deeper. Then, carefully fill in around my roots with the new medium. Do not pack it down tightly; a gentle firming is all that is needed. My roots need air pockets to breathe. Water me thoroughly with distilled or rainwater to settle the medium around my roots and eliminate any large air pockets.
I will be stressed. Place me in a location with very bright, indirect light and consistently high humidity. Avoid direct, harsh sunlight for a week or two as I recover. Keep the medium moist but not waterlogged. Do not fertilize me; my roots are too tender and I get all my nutrients from the insects I catch. Most importantly, do not feed me any insects for at least a month. I need to focus my energy on re-establishing my root system, not on digesting prey. With your careful attention, I will soon settle in and reward you with vigorous new growth.
