When do I repot my Cattleya Orchid?

I'm a newbie to the wonderful world of Orchids and recently, I purchased a small Cattleya from a local flower store. It was not in bloom and was packaged in netting hanging from a peg on a display stand. The leaves are making it very top heavy and it will not stand upright in the plastic pot that it was packaged with. My question is, do I try to stand the pot up somehow or does it sound like it is ready for a new pot?

When do I repot my Cattleya Orchid?
Often orchids get tippy in pots... tends to be their nature.





They need repotted about every 2-3 years, not due to pot size but because you odn't want the soil breaking down to fine. Orchid soil should be thick, chucky and well draining much like beauty bark almost.





Chances are if you just bought it, it doesn't need repotted. My suggestion would be to find a nice heavy ceramic pot that the smaller plastic pot can sit/nest in, or go to a garden store and they sell orchid pots that are heavier ceramic (but about the same size as you probably currently have) that you could transplant it too for more stability.





or you can prop your current pot up.
Reply:The best time to replant catts is when they are just beginning to show new roots.





If the medium looks OK and there is no new root activity, leave it for now. Put the whole thing into a clay pot or other heavy container for stability.





See source for more information on cattleya orchids