Do I Have to Wait Until My Orchid is Done Blooming to Repot?

For novice orchid owners, repotting your plant can be an intimidating task. You want to give your orchid room to grow and remove dead roots, but you don’t want to inadvertently harm your plant’s chances of reblooming.

Beyond the actual act of repotting, one of the most common questions we receive about proper orchid care is when to repot.

• How do I know when it’s time to repot my orchid? 
• When will my orchid need to be repotted? 
• Do I have to wait until my orchid is done blooming to repot? 

This last question is actually a rephrasing of a comment we recently received on our Facebook page and we thought it deserved it’s own post. An orchid owner posted:

My new mini is in bloom with long roots outside of pot…I’m worried they will dry out…how do I keep it healthy if I can’t repot till bloom time is over?

First of all: yes, you should wait until your orchid is done blooming to repot. And while we can’t know for sure without seeing the orchid in question, our best guess is that this owner’s plant has air roots.

What Are Air Roots?

If your orchid has roots that grow above the surface of the growing medium – sometimes even looping over the rim of your pot – it’s natural that your first instinct might be to repot. Air roots give the impression that your orchid is outgrowing the space your pot provides, but they’re actually a perfectly normal part of the growth process. Since the roots are out of the pot, they’re able to capture moisture and carbon dioxide from the air, so they aren’t likely to dry out.

So…When Should I Repot My Orchid? 

A much bigger concern for the health of your plant than air roots are roots that are too tightly tangled in the clear grower pot. Most orchids need to be repotted every one to two years, but you should wait until the blooming cycle is complete to take this step. Once your orchid enters the resting period, watch for the signs that it has outgrown the current pot.

Follow these steps and instructions for repotting your orchid or watch this video for an easy how-to visual. With regular repotting and consistent care, your orchid can live to bloom for many years to come.

For more tips on how to repot your orchid, download our free guide: “5 Simple Steps to Repotting Your Orchid.”