Should I wait to repot?

[Mothra79]

I already posted about the orchid my mother-in-law received for Mother's Day, now I have a question about the one [I]I[I] received for Mother's Day. It's looks gorgeous and healthy. In the two weeks I've had it, both of its buds have bloomed. But, it seems to be packed pretty tightly in the sphagum moss, and I suspect it may have been overwatered at the florist.
I want to wait until it's done flowering to repot it. I don't want to shock it and risk its not blooming for a few years, but I'm worried that if I wait I'm asking for root rot, if it doesn't have it already. Judging by the pictures, can I risk waiting?

[orchidjunky]

I had almost the exact same looking phal with the same type of moss packed tightly... I opted to repot it in bark... and the blooms survived a whole extra month after I did.... it all depends.. if it's been in bloom for awhile it may opt to conk out..

[Mothra79]

IF I do repot, should I go one size bigger? The roots seem pretty crammed in there.

[Lorraine]

Once you get it out of the pot and all the moss out it may not be as crammed as you think. I repotted one early april in full bloom (and had been for a while) and just last week it lost its blooms. Since it was accustomed to staying more moist I kept it moist to avoid shock but allowed lots of air space. I repot anything in moss since we don't see eye to eye.

[quiltergal]

Hi fellow Oregonian! Sphag moss has it's uses, but IMO it's not the best medium choice for the Pacific Northwest. It's going to stay much too wet. Especially for Phals. I have my Phals in a CHC/perlite/charcoal mix that I make myself and S/H. It keeps things open and airy, but retains a little more moisture than fir bark. The semi hydro phals seem to be doing OK. You absolutely can't over water that stuff.

I would go up a pot size, JMO. I think they like to stretch their legs a little. Don't leave it in the sphag. From the pictures it looks like you have some root rot started already.

[Mothra79]

I was wondering if that was root rot or not. Do you think I should wait until it stops flowering? Will that root infect the others if left in there for too long.

[flhiker]

I don't see anything wrong with the roots here. I would cut of the dried roots hanging out of the pot and dap the end with Cinnamon. After the blooms have dropped I would re pot with fresh bark mix and go up slightly on the size of the pot.

[Mothra79]

Thank you again, Dave! You've saved another orchid from being needlessly fiddled with!

[snow]

the roots look very nice.
i would just take it a bit easy on the watering.
it is in a seethrough pot so if things start to look like the roots are deteriorating than i would not wait to repot.
my advise is; if the phal looks like it needs water; wait another 3 days.

[quiltergal]

Er, there's two or three in there that have that distinctive brown slimey look. The green ones are fine. But you can be sure where there's one rotten root there are others.