Would you repot this cattleya now?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Ok. Let's go a step further, when is it acceptable to repot if the plant is growing AND in bloom?

It's all about roots... when an orchid is just starting to root (little green tips just beginning to show) it's the optimum time to repot. What the plant may or may not be doing at the same time (blooms, sheaths, new growth, etc)
is irrelevant. When those new roots are just starting is the ideal time to pot, and the ONLY time to mount.

[Dollythehun]

And a pot should accommodate at least a years growth.

[estación seca]

Older Cattleya roots don't function much. They only make new roots occasionally, and only from the growing end of the plant. That's why it's so important not to damage roots when repotting, especially newer ones. If you damage a lot of roots, the plant will struggle to survive until whenever it decides to make more roots. Seedlings, being smaller, have less reserve, and need to be treated more gently.

I think methodically removing all the old potting medium is a terrible idea. This will always lead to severe root damage. Just shake off what comes easily, and repot. The old roots in old medium won't be alive that much longer, so it doesn't matter if there is old medium in the pot.

Fungus and bacterial infections are due to poor watering, temperature or humidity, not old medium in the pot.

And pulling out the moss or foam plugs bit by bit from seedlings is extremely damaging to the roots.

[Dollythehun]

This is how I approached the same style pot last week. I soaked the plant to soften the roots. Then I !carefully! Cut off the old pot. Some places high, some low, until the plant was freed. I did not remove the old media, only what fell off. Then I rinsed it and repotted in a basket, which I posted. Confession: I also potted a Catt in bloom the same day. I basically cut off the obviously dead roots and plopped it into a new pot, gently tucking the bark in...as you are suggesting to the OP.

[Roberta]

This one, with no medium at all, is even easier... clip off the top part of the pot, ignore the part that is entangled with roots, plop the whole thing into the pot that will accommodate it for the next year or so with some medium bark loosely applied. Set the little basket that it is in high enough that the p-bulb isn't buried, but since the remains of the pot will give a little spacing anyway, no need to over-think this. The only reason for any bark at all is to provide a little more moisture. But I can't think of any reason at all to remove the bottom part of the basket. (Personally I would not bother with removing any of it, the plant will grow beyond it. My experience with baby Catts is that the freer they can be consistent with getting adequate moisture, the happier they are.)