[samuria]

any advise on repotting orchids ?
these are my wife's and need doing now.
unsure of the type of compost. they have what seems like a coarse bark mix,!!! read some reviews on amazon and one lot seems to have loads of flies hatch out and then killed the plants?  any help kindly needed please........

[Yorkie]

Orchids do indeed like a very free draining, bark-like compost.

But as for brands, I'm not sure, sorry.

[samuria]

anyone know please.......

[Growster...]

I hope I can be forgiven for posting this link to The Daily Express, but I was reading it only a few minutes ago!

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/1573144/orchid-care-tips-how-to-repot-houseplant-spring-avoid-diseases-exclusive

Some of your answers are here!

[samuria]

many thanks...... that seems to help
 

[Agatha]

If it's a coarse bark mix you want, try the Orchid Focus one.  I use it for my Phalaenopsis, Den nobile and Den phals.

I'd avoid Westland.

[samuria]

thanks agatha... who makes the orchid focus one ?

[comfreykid]

Orchid focus is made by Growth Technology , l use it my self , very good compost. 

[samuria]

many thanks for that 

[Subversive_plot]

I'm chiming bin a bit late to the party, but I used to be the president of the Northeast Georgia Orchid Society (sadly, NGOS ended in early 2020, like many other things    ).

Many of the orchids you see in the grocery store do well if re-potted in very coarse, free-draining medium (or compost as you say; like fir bark chunks, 1 or 2 cm across). There are other orchids that prefer something else.  A picture of the orchid plant would help sort out what kind you have and what to recommend.

I have orchids that grow in many different materials: bark, sphagnum moss, African violet potting soil, rocks, . . . even whole wine corks and bare pieces of wood!

[samuria]

here are the orchids the wife has 10 of these

[Subversive_plot]

Samuria, those are moth orchids (genus Phalaenopsis).  They do well potted in coarse bark.  You should be able to find orchid bark, or orchid potting mix (that looks like it has a lot of bark) at nearly all garden centers.  Brand is unimportant; if it is coarse, with no "fines" (fines = stuff that looks suitable for houseplants), it is probably OK.  Ingredients that are common, and OK, are bark, coarse charcoal, and perlite (or similar).  I would avoid mixes that contain coir (coconut fiber; it contains a certain amount of salt).

The roots on those orchids look very good.  Don't worry too much that they are not down inside the bark; they are healthy.  So, there is no rush to re-pot.

[samuria]

thanks very much.... i'am safe for a while then  the wife is
baking today so the rolling pin would be out LOL....