Help! How am I supposed to repot this?

[Lily789]

I have a miltonidium that is very rootbound. The roots almost completely cover the whole rootball. So many roots! I want to repot it, but I know that when repotting, you should take the old medium out. With so many delicate roots, it seems impossible to take out the old bark without hurting most of its roots. What should I do? Should I take risks, or not remove the old medium and just plop it into a new pot w/ new medium? It is badly in need of repotting and I want to make it as happy as possible.

Thanks for any help :) !

[Newt]

Hi Lily,
Just remove the orchid from the pot, gently remove the old growing medium and repot with fresh medium. If you leave the old medium you could cause root rot as it decomposes. These orchids don't grow in soil in their natural environment, but their roots are exposed to moist air. This site has lots of info including how to repot.

http://www.orchidlady.com/

Newt