Repot Blc. Harlequin 'Elizabeth Off'?

[escualida]

I just received a Blc. Harlequin 'Elizabeth Off' which looks really healthy, but it's pretty much growing out of its pot. The new pbulb is starting to grow new roots that are touching the edge of the pot and really have nowhere to go but outside of it, meaning they're likely never going to touch the potting medium.



Since it's growing new roots should I repot this into a bigger pot now? I'm usually pretty good about not damaging the roots and I would be extra careful with this one, but if I do, would it possibly cause it not to bloom from this pbulb?

[tucker85]

Your orchid doesn't necessarily need to be repotted now. The best time to repot a cattleya is at the beginning of active growth cycle. If you grow outdoors during the summer, I would repot in the spring. If you grow indoors in a controlled environment, you can repot now or at any time. If your goal is to get the orchid into a specific kind of pot or medium, then it would be OK to repot now. Good luck.

[escualida]

When exactly is the beginning of an active growth cycle? I thought it was always best to repot when there's new root growth?

I grow indoors in a controlled environment and it's not that I necessarily want to get it into a different pot, but it looks like it's going to need one soon anyway, and I was wondering if now was a good time.

I've also heard that catts can sometimes sulk when repotted and not flower for a year, so I was wondering if this is always true, or if it will still likely bloom from the new pbulb even if I repot.

If I decide to wait, do I need to wait for another pbulb to grow and start putting out roots in order to do so?

[WhiteRabbit]

I don't think repotting now would be a problem. I can't say for all Catts, but repotting has never seemed to bother any of mine. I repotted some earlier this year, one is blooming now (second time since repot), another (a spring-summer bloomer) has sheaths, another has sheaths with buds developing now.

[escualida]

Thanks Sonya, I went ahead and repotted it earlier and I'm glad I did, the medium was pretty degraded. Hopefully it'll bloom from the growing pbulb

[WhiteRabbit]

Good deal *fingers crossed* I forgot - one I repotted a few months ago, intergeneric noid, I also divided, and both divisions have sheaths that look productive.