Too late in the season to repot my Cattelya's?

[Nanook 2010]

Advice Please,

I have purchased 2 new Cattleya"s

They are both in 4in pots with roots are growing outside of pot. They both have new growth and are doing great. Should I repot now or wait until spring? I live in central Georgia and it still rather hot and will remain so for another 6 to 8 weeks. It would really just be for display purposes.

The loog tone "African Queen" (not pictured) has already flowered ..if this matters

thanks for the advice in advance

J

[Bud]

Cattleyas and their related types are epiphytes; in nature, they grow attached to trees and rocks, not on the ground in soil. In most cases, it is unnecessary to regularly repot these types. I leave established divisions in their original pot, and when they begin to outgrow that pot, simply set the whole plant - pot and all - in another empty, slightly larger pot. The roots crawl around in the air-space between pots and the larger pot simply provides support for the plant to grow outward. My largest specimens are often in a relatively tiny pot, set in several successively larger empty pots, with the roots exposed. As time passes, the mix virtually vanishes, or there is such a minimal amount that there is no worry of its decaying and the roots rotting. Specimens may also be set into empty hanging pots or baskets, allowing the plant to grow over the sides and onto itself for great, round displays. Typically, I only repot 1) if making new divisions, 2) if starting a plant from seed, potting up until the plant gets to its mature, blooming size 3) if the plant is declining because of decomposed mix or failing roots. I select a pot which has good drainage and just fits around the root ball, allowing about 1-2 years growth before the plant goes over the edge. Plants that are over-potted have a harder time getting established and the mix tends to break down sooner. Plants should be potted firmly by pressing the mix in tightly around the roots. But take good care that you dont damage the roots so much or it will sulk on you and wont flower for a season...

[Eyebabe]

Nanook,

My approach is a bit different since most of the cattleyas I acquire are in transferred into s/h at some point.
Therefore, I literally remove 100% of the media and 80-90% of the root ball prior to potting them up AND they do just fine!
Given my conditions and watering habits, the "lift and pot bigger" method would result in rot for me.
I don't use bark mix at all for cattleyas.

Regardless of how you choose to repot...you can repot a cattleya hybrid almost anytime of the year and have it recover and do well. As long as it is not in the cold.
If you are wanting to have your temperatures drop down to 55F or so for flowering etc. you should wait a good few months after repotting imo.
If you have a species plant, you must wait until new roots are presenting or it will die. I learned this the hard way of course

[Becca]

And another approach on newly acquired plants.....sometimes it is a good idea to repot when you first receive a new one so you know what the root system is like. Nothing like getting an orchid off of ebay or another seller and not to check out the root system only to have your new 'chid start to decline a month down the road and not be able to prove that the root system was bad when you first received it and you could have gotten a replacement or a refund. Also not always is the potting mix it is currently in going to work with your conditions, so if you find a particular potting mix works well for you, then I would use that....no use using something that will hold to much or to little moisture for your growing conditions. For the most part, I always repot mine when I first get them.....

[tucker85]

Cattleyas generally don't mind being repotted except for bifolates which sulk for sometimes a year after being repotted. If your orchid hasn't bloomed yet I would leave it alone and let it bloom before repotting. Many Cattleyas bloom in the fall and winter. Spring is the ideal time to repot but I've repotted Catts. all through the year with success. Placing the entire pot in a new, larger one like Bud suggested is a good way to handle a large specimen plant. On the other hand Cattleyas love having their roots outside the pot. They often grow better that way. So there's no big hurry to repot except for personal preference. Good luck.