To re-pot or not to re-pot?

[missgroover]

Photo attached...I think...would you say a new home is required? Typically it's started a new leaf now too!

[BobInBonita]

The plant looks wonderful to me, but you can't see the roots or the media. If the media is in good condition, I wouldn't disturb put it through the trauma of repotting. The downside of that decision is that if it throws out a spike, phals can bloom and rebloom for quite a while. I try not to repot until the spike is spent and brown - because they so often throw a "side-spike" or two from the original (after the initial bloom).

[RosieC]

I think after 6 years without repotting it I would repot. But I would do it when there is signs of root growth, no need to rush.

[CTB]

Welcome to the Orchid Board, glad you decided to join us. Lookig forward to your posts. Enjoy!!

[RJSquirrel]

the minute I put an aerial root in media they die off..
when you repot that are you going to bury the aerial roots or leave them aerial?
I been told to cover the roots all up when you re-pot bec you want the roots all doing the same thing. Well I cover em all up and they all do the same thing alright....
... by Dying.

[BobInBonita]

The way I look at it:

Try to imagine yourself as an orchid. If your roots are happy they grow in the direction of most comfort. If they're too wet (or too dry) they go off looking for conditions they need.

As epiphytes, some orchids just need more aeration and will always put out aerial roots. Forcing them to be more terrestrial just won't work well. Like the old saying: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink". You can bury an orchids roots, but you can kill them.

[Gin]

I don't bury them , because the plant would have to go in a very deep pot if the other roots are good , meaning more mix and less air to them . I have some that have left the pot and hit the floor in the Green house ..They are happy that is what counts ,not what I want them to do .. Gin

[missgroover]

Thanks for all your replies, I have attached a close up view of the aerial roots, all are in lovely condition and growing in earnest! The media looks fine to me, I am careful with my watering so it hasn't rotted or become mouldy, actually there isn't a lot of media left further down the pot as there are more lovely roots there. If I were to repot I would leave the aerial roots out, the main thing that is making me keen to is simply that the plant is now so heavy and at such an angle soon it will hardly be in the pot at all!
RosieC you mentioned repotting when there is root growth, why is that? My instinct was to wait until it was sleepy and then do it but I'll be guided by your experience

[Jennyfleur]

I don't want to second guess Rosie, but, for me, it's so the plant can anchor/ establish itself quicker in the new medium....

[RosieC]

Yes, just as Jennyfleur has said.

With orchids that go really dormant... to the extent of old roots dying off while dormant and new ones growing in the spring, then it's best to repot when dormant. At that time the roots are doing little anyway so it doesn't matter if they are disturbed.

With phals their roots are permenant. If you disturb and damage them during repotting (difficult to avoid) then the roots struggle a little.

If you repot as new roots are growing then the new root growth gets settled and established in the new pot and quickly replaces any damaged roots.

I've found that some I've repotted when there was no growth have sulked and sat a bit unhappy looking in the new pot, until the growth got going. It's not a major thing, which is why if a plant was already unhappy in it's current pot then I would advise potting straight away, I've just found that repotting when there is new growth is more likely to mean the plant doesn't miss a beat.