Newbie Question on Re-Potting New Purchases
 

Hello,

Is it a good practice to re-pot newly purchased orchids?

Thank you!

Personally I like to get plants into my style of potting as soon as possible but it's pretty dependent on which kind of plant and what condition its in.

Generally I set the plants in my growing space for a week or two and let them get used to my conditions, then pot them as soon as I feel like I can

Sounds like a very practical approach.
Thank you,
Dan

It really depends. If it is happy and have a healthy root system, I would leave it alone. Some people find sphagnum moss too water retentive and cause root rot. Therefore, they would repot in an airy bark mix. There are pros and cons with each media you prefer to use

I always try to repot at the optimal time, generally when new roots are emerging, unless it is some type of emergency.

Some orchids, like Phalaenopsis, don't mind repotting at any time of the year if growing conditions are good. Others mind it a lot. I also try to repot only when I see new root growth. Which plants are you talking about?

I always repot new purchases just to get a look at the roots and see if there are any issues but I try to do it gently as possible without any disturbances to the roots. I just lift it out of the pot and let the media fall off to see what’s there. I’ll leave it be unless there’s massive root rot and then just put it into the pots and bark I like to use.

Makes sense to me. Now I just have to learn how to tell healthy roots from unhealthy. Thank you!

Most of the plants that I have lost died because I repotted based on my needs vs the plant's needs. I believe repotting at the wrong time for aesthetics is simply bad orchid culture. If you repot because you have a particular setup that works in your environment, that is more of a grey area.

When in doubt, assume "healthy". If the stuff on the outside of the root (velamin) is soggy, loose, black (obviously bad) it will easy strip of with your fingers, leaving a stringy core that likely is firmly attached to the plant. This is the "business" part of the root... it can still hydrate the plant, though not as efficiently as a good one. (A bad root is still better than "no root", an orchid can only take up water from roots, no other route, pun intended) And it also serves to help stabilize the plant in the new mdium (very important that it not wobble, which will damage new emerging roots) Overall, just be gentle. When you repot, just remove what comes off easily. Rinse under running water. Put into fresh medium that works with your watering practices.

Roots on Paphs look totally different than those on Phals and Catts. They tend to be fuzzy and brown, can break off too easily. So be especially gentle. Again, assume "good" unless there is a really good reason to do otherwise.