Repotting Help!!

[Kurtcm]

I'm about to re-pot two of my favorite Catts; They're spilling over their 5" pots and they've just finished blooming. They're Lc. Purple Cascade I've had for a few months. I've potted Phals before with success, but my last attempt to transplant a Cattleya was a disaster. It resulted in pb after pb shriveling, yellowing, and then dying until nothing was left. If anyone can give me a checklist of things I should do, or things that are cattleya-specific I might not know, I'd really appreciate it. They need a transplant, but I don't want to kill them! I'm not sure whether to repot after watering, or when it's dry. I'm using a course bark/light sphagnum mix I got online, similar to what they were planted in when I got them.
Help!

[Call_Me_Bob]

i dont know, but i would like to. hopefully someone with more experience will chime in 8)

[WhiteRabbit]

hmm - not sure what could be the cause of that happening. I find it easiest to repot after watering - or even after soaking the pot for some time - easier to get the plant out of the pot, and roots will be more pliable, and easier to seperate from the media. Make sure you don't pot too deeply - the rhizome should be just barely in the media.
Pre-soak the bark at least over night. All in all it shouldn't really differ from a phal repot, but most Catt types do like to dry a bit in between waterings

[DebsC]

Make sure your catts are in growth. New roots should just be starting when you pot them up. The new roots will then grow nicely into the fresh mix.

[jrodpad]

If you type "orchid repot" into google video you will get quite a few helpful results. You can further refine the search with species names or potting medium to get targeted videos.

Hope this helps.

[dounoharm]

cattleyas like being potted tightly, make sure you push the media in tightly around the roots and rhyzome.....

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by DebsC

Make sure your catts are in growth. New roots should just be starting when you pot them up. The new roots will then grow nicely into the fresh mix.

Here I believe is the most important factor of all.....

Make sure to read up on your particular catt and determine is it unifoliate or bifoliate to start also ....Bifoliate catts especially from what I read absolutely must be making active new root growth or problems just like you described occur,a slow decline and death.

[Kurtcm]

Thanks for all the help! I think repotting directly after blooming was my problem, after researching it. I'll wait a few weeks for new roots to show before I attempt it. Thanks, everyone!

[WhiteRabbit]

I know it is probably ideal to repot when there is new growth, but I frequently repot after blooming even when there is no new growth yet and haven't had any issues - just my experience ...

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

I know it is probably ideal to repot when there is new growth, but I frequently repot after blooming even when there is no new growth yet and haven't had any issues - just my experience ...

I trust you on that wabbit I was just adding that bifoliates are supposed to be picky about that ...I personaly do not know this from exp just from reading up on them.