I agree with previous responders, the 4" pots were _way_ too big for your
little ones. They look to you as if they are suffering from lack of
moisture, but I'd bet the reverse is true -- they've been staying way too
wet.

One of the most confusing issues that faces the new orchid grower is the
fact that over- and under-watering produce pretty much the same symptoms in
the foliage. If you don't water enough, it dehydrates. If you water too
much, it also dehydrates -- because you rot off all the roots and they can't
transport any water up to the foliage. When you have a tiny plant in a pot
too big for it, it's very hard to water correctly because the tiny little
plant can't drink all the water fast enough; so the top of the medium feels
dry, but it's still very wet down below. The only way I know of to tell
which problem you have is to look at the roots.

My suggestion is pull those plants out of the pots ASAP. If, as I suspect,
most of the roots are rotten, then just lay them on some of that wet carpet
padding previously mentioned, or a small bed of damp sphagnum, until they
start exhibiting more signs of life. Don't water at all; if your humidity
is very low, mist the foliage lightly every day or two. A dip in a root
stimulator like Superthrive or K-L-N might also be helpful.

As to what the vendor told you about blooming them -- I'd be surprised to
see a mini-catt blooming in a 1" pot unless it was about to bust the pot (in
which case I don't quite see why you were told to wait until fall to
repot -- unless that's when s/he expected new roots to be forming). But I
currently have a handful of mini-catts, in 2" pots with room to grow,
sporting flowers. [We don't use 1" pots, we go from compot to 2" nets,
sometimes 3" nets if the babies are strapping.]

Good luck with the rehab!

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"Ben Lurkin" wrote in message
link.net...
The other two were seedling mini cats. They were in plastic pots about an
inch square and maybe three inches tall. The grower told me they should
be
replanted in the fall and that they could bloom by then.

They were top heavy and I could hardly wait till fall as they were always
falling over. I put them in clay pots filled with Schultz Orchid Mix.
[The
smallest pots I could find were four inch]