BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Orchids Right or wrong time to repot orchids?

I think I need to repot some orchids. I've been putting it off, fearing that I will harm it by repotting it at the wrong time. I read that they should be repotted in the resting period. How do you know if it is resting (when it is not growing leaves?), and will I really harm it by repotting when it is still growing new leaves? It seems to have been growing new leaves for quite awhile now, but they have not flowered in over a year (I got them over three years ago and for two years I had blooms over and over, I was so happy!)

I have a small Dendrobium that (compared to some orchids I've seen in books), doesn't look terribly crowded in a 4 inch pot (for the last year has only sprouted keikis (I DO have three new little orchids, that's the positive side); a Phal that is not really taking up much room in the pot since it is mostly growing outside the 4 inch pot (a few roots are growing out of the bark, but the rest are growing straight out into the air <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />, 4 mature leaves and one new one growing; and an Oncidium Sharry Baby that appears to have plenty of space in the 6 inch pot, but is all growing crowded on one side of the pot. All the new growth grows behind the old growth, nothing comes out in front.

I've been advised on this forum to repot, but I'm afraid of ruining it, and would like some assurance about when would be a good time. I would repot tomorrow if I knew it was safe!

Thanks in advance! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Here's a link to articles I've done on repotting http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/9073.asp. There are some good links to sites with detailed instructions on how to do it. In most cases, orchids should be repotted when the roots are actively growing (white roots with green tips). This allows them to recover faster from repotting and to get established faster in the new medium.

Most orchids need to be repotted every two to three years because bark-based medium will break down and eventually smother the roots. So, even if they don't seem to be too big for their pots the repotting will help them.

Good luck!

Susan, could you re-post the link to your repotting articles? This link goes somewhere generic now, and I would love to read them. Thanks.

I did some cleanup on the site and set up a subject for repotting under cultural information. Here's the ULR: http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/9073.asp. Just copy and paste into the address line of your browser.

Sorry for the confusion!!