Repotting cattleya while in bloom?

[katrina]

Yep...same as wintergirl...I usually repot a plant very soon after I get it. If it's in a brand new mix and it matches what I use then I might leave it but most of the time I repot w/in the first week of a plant joining the group. And that is regardless of stage of development or whether or not it's in bloom.

As a matter of fact, I am very guilty of repotting orchids according to my schedule rather than the ideal schedule of the plant and most of the time I have no problems with them. I can't always do them at the perfect time and I try to keep it close...but sometimes it just needs to happen when I can make the time. Admittedly, there have been a few that "sulked" for awhile afterward but, most of the time, they never skip a beat. I've never lost buds because of repotting. Well, not unless I goof and break them off and I have done that a couple of times. I'm also guilty of breaking off new growths when I do it at the perfect time. Basically, due to my clumsiness, the plant is more in danger from ME than the timing of the repot.

[GGracieGoodman]

I live in North Carolina about 40 minutes from Charlotte. The 2 cattleyas aren't in actual pots, they are in this very very thin rubber-plastic thats very pliable with 1 hole at the bottom.

[bil]

Originally Posted by wintergirl

I repot everything I buy, even cattleyas and never had a problem.

Gods, yes. I never trust a dealer to get it right. Some do, but even there I usually want the plant in a wider, shallower pot than I usually get them in.

Very often, had I not repotted, I would have lost the plant.

[estación seca]

Bifoliate Cattleyas are a different story. I've repotted bifoliates at the wrong time of year (they weren't making new roots.) They never again grew at all, just petered out and died agonizingly over a year.

[GGracieGoodman]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Bifoliate Cattleyas are a different story. I've repotted bifoliates at the wrong time of year (they weren't making new roots.) They never again grew at all, just petered out and died agonizingly over a year.

I repotted a bifoliate cattleya I got from Lowe's a while ago, it had a little growth when I got and it has grown significantly even after I repotted it. I didn't really know when to repot it or when it was making new roots, I just took a chance.

[estación seca]

Bifoliates usually make roots and new growths around the same time, so you chose well!

[Leafmite]

Just one note:
Potting up orchids at the best time gives them the best chance of being healthy and stresses them the least. If you accidentally break or damage roots, you don't need to worry too much as new roots will soon come to support the new growth. For some of the species and older hybrids that are less tolerant of mistakes (think C. violacea or aclandiae), getting the potting right will help keep the plant healthy and tolerant of less than ideal conditions. Stressing it needlessly by re-potting the Cattleya at a less than optimal time might make it more likely to suffer or, even, succumb.
Many of the modern hybrids and even species, through breeding, are quite a bit more tolerant of mistakes. Still, now and then, you will come across something that won't be. It is really best to try to pot an orchid at the right time to give it the best chance. If you must pot at the wrong time, it should be done very carefully with the least amount of damage possible to the roots.