The best time to repot a Cymbidium, Oncidium, Dendrobium or Miltonia is when you see new growths coming up like in the photo below. When they are just starting be careful not to break them. A new growth means the plant is in a growth stage.

Wear latex gloves or wash your hands between repotting each orchid! Orchids can get bacteria or orchid virus from each other, so keep it clean. This will make your orchids live a long time. 1. Take the orchid out of the pot. You may have to pry or use special tools - but get that pot off!

New growths on a Cymdium

2. Remove all the mix from the roots. Either use your hands, or if its a really tough orchid, use a screwdriver or knife to get all the old mix out of the roots. If you use a tool, sterilize it with heat or something in between each use.

3. Pull off dead roots. If any roots are dead or all mushy, remove them. Leave and be careful with all live roots.

4. Use a pot that all the roots will touch the edges of. Sometimes, if you have a lot of dead roots, you'll need to go into a smaller pot. THIS IS OK!! =)

5. With one hand hold the orchid in the pot with the part where the plant base and roots join at the top of the pot.
Bark sizes to use: Cymbidiums, Miltonias, Paphiopedilums, Dendrobiums, Oncidiums: fine bark (may mix in 20% sphagnum moss if you like to retain moisture). Phalaenopsis - medium bark. Vandas - large bark.

Fill the pot with bark around the roots, trying to get the roots pretty evenly distributed. When the pot is full, push down around the edges of the bark with your thumbs or a tool to pack the bark tight into the pot. Don't have loose bark - you should almost be able to knock the pot on its side after repotting and have no bark fall out - thats a tight repot! Don't repot so tightly, though, that you hurt any roots.

6. Water and you're done! Don't forget to label and change gloves or wash your hands for the next one. Also, if you're going to reuse pots, clean them well.

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