New here! Quick question

[Mr Cattleya]

This is an awesome site, so happy I found it! New to growing orchids, decided to jump in a few months ago after seeing a photo of a C. Mossiae I purchased the closest thing I could find to it, C. Mossiae Willowbrock FCC/AOS from hausermann(see pic below). Questions
Do I need to re-pot it now or should I wait for new growth?
When I do re-pot what size pot should I use? It came in a three inch pot.
Would mounting it work? I live in NE Georgia and will be growing it outside during the summer.
Thanks in advance for your help, looking forward to learning all I can and sharing sharing these beautiful plants. Take care and God bless!
PS. I also purchase a Vanda and a Onc,Sharry Baby

[charlesf6]

Oh that's a beauty! I wouldn't mess with it right now just care for it only.
And welcome to the site!

[rbarata]

Repotting or dividing should be done only when new root growth starts, I think in Spring. You'll notice it!

Choose a pot that allows for 2 years growth, in your case maybe the next size (4 in) if it can acommodate easily the roots it already has.

BTW, welcome!

[Roberta]

Rbarata is spot-on... repot when you see new roots. New growth may or may not be the indicator because some will do both at the same time, but others don't and it's the roots that are critical. (And it's not always spring... I have some Catts that are rooting now and have been for awhile, others do it in the fall) The best time is just as the first little green root tips emerge... try not to touch them, as they damage easily, but if you catch it right when they are starting, even if one or two get damaged, there will be more. I think you would have trouble maintaining this on a mount indoors during the winter. I suggest a wood basket - think of it as a "three dimensional mount". The roots love to grab onto it, they get lots of the air that they crave, but in winter if you have trouble keeping it damp enough in the basket you can just wrap some plastic around for extra moisture retention. Outside in summer, it will love it.

[estación seca]

Welcome!

This has the most amazing, deep purple, fragrant flower. Excellent choice.

Notice how it's spilling out of the pot.

Growers pot tiny seedlings or mericlones into pots that should hold 1-2 years of growth. Seedlings need more water than adults, so Cattleya seedlings generally stay moist. Under these circumstances bark degrades in 2 years or so.

Some growers sell seedlings soon after repotting. The medium will be fresh, and there will be plenty of room for further growth before repotting. Other growers sell seedlings farther into the repotting cycle. This one probably could have been repotted last spring. The bark is getting old and mushy, and it should be repotted when it grows roots again.

Small seedlings, or mericlones like this one, often produce new growth continuously, if temperatures are warm. You probably won't have long to wait before you see new root growth.

Get ready the medium and pot you choose. Unpot this plant and remove all the old bark. Notice how crumbly and slimy it is. Compare that to your new medium. Even if a plant hasn't outgrown its pot, it should be repotted when the medium breaks down.

If you choose bark, the new bark will not be nearly as water-retentive as the old. You will need to water more frequently.

From now on each new growth should be considerably larger than the previous ones. It might have a small flower in spring 2019.

There is a lot of information here on Orchid Board. Read a lot and learn a lot.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Mr Cattleya

: after seeing a photo of a C. Mossiae I purchased the closest thing I could find to it, C. Mossiae Willowbrock FCC/AOS from hausermann.

Actually you got just what you were looking for... this is C. mossiae 'Willowbrook' ... the species, a specific cultivar 'Willowbrook' - which was cloned so lots of people can have one. It should be really beautiful when it grows up and blooms. (I'm guessing a couple of years)

[Leafmite]

Here is a good guide to growing this one (Chadwick and Sons):

Cattleya mossiae

This one is pretty easy to grow. It has a definite growth cycle so one knows when it can be potted, when to fertilize, when to keep it a little drier and when to quit fertilizing. If you don't have much Calcium in your water, it is wise to add extra during the growing season. If you have heavy rains and high temperatures, it will need even more Calcium added.

[Mr Cattleya]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to give such detailed advise. Take care and God bless!!

[No-Pro-mwa]

I will only add welcome to the board.

[Mr Cattleya]

GM!
Another question.
What type of medium would give a beginner like me the greatest chance of success to grow orchids? From what I've read it depends on a number of variables. Just checking to see if one is more widely used than others. Again thanks in advance.