[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I'd like to clarify my attitude to repotting sympodials, like Cattleyas. The reason for holding off on repotting until the new growth is just starting new roots is to give the plant the benefit of root growth, which in many, or most of these plants, is extremely seasonal. IF you can repot without damaging the original roots, such as when the mix just falls away, or you can carefully pick the old mix out without breaking roots, or as with sphag, you can pull the strings of sphag out without breaking roots, then pot-away at any time, just be careful not to break roots while you are completing the second half of the job putting the new mix in around the roots. And this is not a minor worry, as the mix should be packed fairly firmly into the pot, so that the moisture will wick efficiently thru the mix and make it available to all of the roots. I routinely repot any time, as I use a mix that gets washed out with the jet setting on my hose end sprayer and the new mix goes in just about as easily. I do however follow my own advice on timing if the plant has a complex root system and I am going to be dividing the plant. I also follow this timing if I buy a plant in bark and there is a heavy root system. Once I finally get it converted over to my mix, the problems are much simpler for it as it is for all my other orchids.

Addendum: It is a whole lot more important to give the plants the benefit of current root growth in a dry climate like S. California and Arizona than it is in a humid climate like Florida.