Epicattleya questions/repotting advice

[kimstwin]

I agree that the plant is not suffering. I just generally repot any plant that is a new acquisition. I never thought about just leaving her be!

[Vanda lover]

Every time you repot a plant it sets it back a little. Leave it be until it out grows the pot.

[kimstwin]

I wanted to say thanks for the input to all who replied. I followed the advice, and I left her be! She's outside in my courtyard for the summer, and so far, she loves it!

I moved her out a couple weeks ago when the spikes were done. She was growing two new bulbs at that time. She has since sprouted two more, so I am looking forward to 4 new psuedobulbs soon!

[Vanda lover]

It's amazing how fast they grow when you put them outside for the summer.

[pipsxlch]

It sounds happy on your patio. You can probably grow it there year round, depending on where in central Florida you are. (if you are Daytona to Leesburg heading southwest towards Brooksville north, some winters like last might be a bit too much)
I'm near Orlando and my epicatts (love them have quite a few) stay outside unless there will be a decent freeze. I'm in a warm pocket though.
I can't see the pic well enough to see what is going on in it; I pot mine in baskets or in clay, and use lava and/or charcoal; sometimes bark or treefern if that's what I have but it must be coarse. Too much rain in the summer. They do want to dry out some in the winter. I put them where they get a fair bit of light under the trees.

[Optimist]

My cattleyas love (or seem to love, obviously) the clay pot and the lava rock or lava and large bark mix. They like lots of water but drying out quickly. I can basically give them as much water as I want and as long as they drain quickly they are happy. Way more sun than a phal.

[Vanda lover]

My only problem with lava rock is that I'm not sure how to tell if it is too dry. it seems that you have to keep watering. I like lava rock for s/h and I have put a few other orchids in lava rock. Is they a way to tell if your plant is getting too dry?

[james mickelso]

With lava rock you can water any time you want. Daily is not too much.

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

With lava rock you can water any time you want. Daily is not too much.

What if you forget to water for several days? I find watering daily can be inconvenient, especially if you are going away for a few days. I have a vascostylis in a basket with lava rock and it seems to like it but I'm afraid to let it go more than a couple of days without water.

[Fairorchids]

I agree that there is no rush to repot this plant, unless the mix is breaking down. I usually allow Cattleya type plants to grow to the edge, or even 1 year over, of the pot.

Also, even though you use mostly plastic pots, it might be a good idea to use clay for Cattleya types, in particular if they need pots larger than 4" size. Since plants dry faster in clay, it will allow you to water on same schedule as the other plants in plastic pots.

Also, with this height, you will probably need the weight of clay pot to avoid making it top heavy.

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About styrofoam in pots, whether as drain or filler, I am NOT in favor of this, for several reasons:

1. It makes plants top heavy, so they fall over too easily.
2. It is a material I have to sort out when repotting, as I don't want it in the compost pile.

When I find it in pots, I make a mental note to NEVER buy from that source again (yes, I can be somewhat opionated).