How can I move an orchid to a new pot? (& general orchid care)?

Question

My grandma's in the hospital and got a lovely orchid from my uncle that she wants me to take care of. Problem is, I know absolutely nothing about plants.

It came in one of those lame little green plastic pots and I'd like to put it in an actual pot and make it last as long as possible. It's roots have already grown out the holes on the bottom of the lame-o pot, and instead of soil, there's these things that look like wood chips but not. How do I move the plant to a nice pot and where can I find this wood-chip-looking stuff?

Also, general care tips in simple, idiot-proof words would be appreciated. I don't speak horticulture-ese.

Answer 1

i don't suppose you know what type of orchid it is do you?

the moth orchid is the most common so, here goes, and sorry  it's gonna be long.

for the soil you can find it at Lowe's, or sometimes even at Wal-Mart, just look in the sections where the house plants are and you will see different types of potting soil. One of them will specifically say "for orchids" on the bag, it is usually in a smaller bag, maybe about 3lbs or so. not really sure.  it should have a picture of the soil on the bag so that you now you are in the right direction.

Repotting: Remove the plant from the old pot, check for dead roots and trim them off. Make sure that all the roots are surrounded by soil, water and let it sit in a shady spot for a couple of days to recover.

general care:

they need temp to stay between 75-85 degrees F. Humidity between 50 -80%. you can do this by placing a tray filled with pebbles under the plant and keeping the pebbles watered. Lighting you need either bright filtered light (not direct), or at least medium light. Even tho the orchid likes it humid the plant itself needs to be kept evenly moist but not soaked. the roots will rot from over watering. a good way to check is to stick your finger into the soil, down to the first knuckle (second if it was a larger plant) and the soil should feel damp. Feed it once monthly with a foliage plant food. Happy growing.

hope your grandma is ok.

Answer 2

You need to identify what orchid you have.

See source for information on how to care for popular orchids.

Answer 3

Growing it may be easy.   Orchids grow on trees in tropical areas.  That's why the pot has wood chips.  The roots are meant to grow out of the pot, its natural.  So don't transplant to a new pot.  Small pots will help the plant to bloom more.  You need bright sunlight,  but filtered.  Think growing on a tree under some leaves, but bright.   Watering - dunk pot in water and let dry out before watering again.  Again think tropics, lots of rain in the summer( maybe everyday) followed by the dry season of rain only once every 2 weeks or so.  The stress of the dry spell followed by lots of rain makes the orchid flower.  There are basic 2 kinds of orchids.  The kind with a few large flowers and the kind with lots of flowers on a stem.  The ones with large flower s bloom once a year.  the kind with lots of flowers on a stem may bloom 2 to 3 times a year.  You need to get an orchid feed.  Feed once a month when you are watering a lot( in the summer ).  Do not feed during the dry times ( winter ).  Keep on eye the exposed roots during the watering time, if there is any rotting of the root you need to dry out a little more between watering.  Hope this helps with out confusion.