Do catts like to be pot-bound?

[OrchidPrince]

Also to add to what everyone else has said. When you do repot whether it be a Cattleya, Phal, etc you want the pot to be big enough to allow a year or two of good growth. Wishing you much success with your Cattleya!

[bil]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

No one likes to be pot bound! lol
Epiphytes spread their roots all over the place on the tree they grow on.

In pot culture, that can be rather problematic, so we confine the roots in the pot as much as possible.

You have to realize cattleyas will grow tons of roots each season. Give enough space for them to grow. You will suffer less at the time of repotting.
You want to use large grade bark or something of that sort. Then you don't have to worry about roots rotting because these chunky mix will allow excellent drainage. Also, when the mix is new, they will dry out very fast.

Nice to have my suspicions confirmed.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

No one likes to be pot bound! lol

Indeed! This is one of those nonsensical urban (or perhaps we should say "horticultural"?) legends that refuses to die. If plants "enjoyed" being root-bound, then the wilds would be filled with a lot of unhappy plants! (Right up there with plants that "don't like to get their leaves wet" as a load of hokum.)

The issue is both the fact we humans confine them to pots and what we choose to use as potting media. If one uses a very coarse airy media and waters appropriately for the use of that media in ones personal conditions, overpotting poses no real danger.

[silken]

The main reason many advise on under potting is simply that the media can stay wet for too long which causes root rot if the pot is a lot larger than the root ball. So a smaller pot helps prevent that by drying out quickly which is what many epiphytes need.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by silken

The main reason many advise on under potting is simply that the media can stay wet for too long which causes root rot if the pot is a lot larger than the root ball. So a smaller pot helps prevent that by drying out quickly which is what many epiphytes need.

The main reason it's advised, but the only reason that matters!

[bil]

Originally Posted by silken

The main reason many advise on under potting is simply that the media can stay wet for too long which causes root rot if the pot is a lot larger than the root ball. So a smaller pot helps prevent that by drying out quickly which is what many epiphytes need.

Which is why I always suggest using a bigger diameter, shallow pot. no more than 4 inches deep max.

That allows the roots to breathe, the medium to dry, and all without cramping the roots in a too small pot.

[NYCorchidman]

Large chunky mix won't stay wet too long, especially when new.

[silken]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

Large chunky mix won't stay wet too long, especially when new.

But the problem is when it gets a bit older and if it is too much for a small root ball, moisture will sit in the centre of the pot and cause rot. When its new it dries out almost too fast to keep up with

[Leafmite]

You can pot them up for the long term if you do it correctly. Here is my currently blooming C. Snow Blind 'Kenny' from another post. As you can see, it sits in a Vanda basket with large chunks of red lava rock and there is plenty of room for expansion.
I also included a picture of my oldest neo...I have had it quite a few years in that same medium and pot and it will probably be there for many more.
My older orchids are all in red lava rock while the newer ones are in LECA. Both seem to work equally well.

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

You can pot them up for the long term if you do it correctly. Here is my currently blooming C. Snow Blind 'Kenny' from another post. As you can see, it sits in a Vanda basket with large chunks of red lava rock and there is plenty of room for expansion.
I also included a picture of my oldest neo...I have had it quite a few years in that same medium and pot and it will probably be there for many more.
My older orchids are all in red lava rock while the newer ones are in LECA. Both seem to work equally well.

So how often do you water?