Hello there I have been gifted a beautiful orchid. However, it is very large and has been trained into an upside down j shape. It currently has five blooms on it. The pot is way too small, and it seems very top heavy to me. I'm wanting to cut it back and make it smaller. But I don't want to kill it or do it wrong. So any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
maclad,
Jan 4, 6:47pm
Orchids do far better if under potted. As for the res,t not really into orchids so do not really know but cutting it back to reduce it is not right. Perhaps once it finishes flowering you could divide it and remove the old bulbs thereby making it smaller. Do not over pot it, They are epiphytes and use to strict growing conditions.
happychappy50,
Jan 4, 6:54pm
Break it up after flowering,have always followed this,get a good mixture of orchid mix,from a decent sized plant you should get 4 or 5 bulbs.The mix needs to be free draining,I used bark,sharpe sand,vermiculite & slow release fertiliser,water often with filtered sunlight.They do not like wet feet.Others may have different ways however this always worked for me,sometimes I got spikes the following yr.Good luck
harrislucinda,
Jan 4, 6:54pm
if flowering dont touch it yes like to be pot bound you will just have to let it stay like that all orchids have tube like roots so dont stand in water let the water run thru is it a moth orchid ?
kaponga67,
Jan 5, 8:12am
Yes it is a moth orchid. Thanks for the advice. It's just so tall.
wheelz,
Jan 5, 7:46pm
It doesn't need dividing! Or repotting! It should have come with a slim stake and a clip to hold the flowering stem. The flowering stem should last several months. I love these orchids, and think they are the easiest to care for. I especially like the big white blooms, and have them on my mantelpiece which has a massive mirror above it, which gives me the illusion of twice the amount of blooms. Have a read here for some info. https://www.yates.co.nz/flowers/grow/moth-orchids/
tinabops,
Jan 12, 10:06pm
Moth Orchids are beautiful. Please dont cut the stems after the flowers have all fallen(died) off. The stems should grow shoots, which is where the next lot of flowers will grow from. Only cut this old flower stem if part of it dies off, then only cut the dead part off.
eljayv,
Jan 14, 9:04am
I have a couple and one needed repotting so after speaking to a specialist in the Mall I bought a slightly larger pot and using wet sphagnum moss lined the outer and bottom of the pot and slipped orchid into its new home. It’s still flowering and looking good 10days later. She also suggested I do some root trimming as well but I skipped that. Now the really big one is next. Fingers crossed.
harm_less,
Jan 14, 9:12am
Are you sure it's a 'moth' orchid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki- /Phalaenopsis)?
never put up a photo so only go buy what had been explained but sound like a moth as a slipper orchid is smaller
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