They are indeed good. It means you're plant is happy and healthy; looks like you're doing a good job! They will grow down into the medium eventually so no worries.

Your roots look terrific. Your strategy was perfect! Flowers will be your Congratulations!!

The roots may/may not grow downward. They may also travel laterally. Of course, it would be nice if they grew into the medium. It's not really an issue. It's naturally an epiphytic plant.

--Stitz--

The roots don't need to be buried in the medium. The rhyzome should be resting on top of the medium. If you lowered the plant to suit those roots the plant wouldn't thrive. As Stitz says, the roots will go where they want to.

Why are you watering the plant sparingly? Catts like to be watered well and then allowed to dry out before being watered again. Watering sparingly will allow salts to build up in the medium. Watering well will flush them out.

Well, keeping the a cattleya dry will force it to root. Just provide high humidity. When the roots do start developing, start to water more frequently. Still letting the mix drain and dry out a bit before watering again.

I'm using a wooden skewer to tell me when the medium is very dry, then I flush the pot with running water and next run a weak fertilizer solution through it. I read somewhere that you should never let a cattleya sit in water, but does that apply to when you water it? I like to set the pots in a large bowl filled with water/fertilizer to make sure the medium gets saturated. So far I'm not doing this with my cattleyas.

When they say never let a cattleya sit in water, they mean that the water should flow through the medium but not puddle and remain at the bottom. In fact, using some packing peanuts in the bottom of the pot will prevent any puddled water from reaching the roots and causing tot.

Flushing from the top is much better than letting the pots sit in a large bowl filled with water/fertilizer as this allows for flushing any accummulated salts out of the medium. Although it won't hurt the cattleya, letting the plant absorb water from the bottom up will actually allow salts to accummulate and using this method over time without thorough periodic top flushing can be lethal. Your first sentance, "I flush the pot with running water and next run a weak fertilizer solution through it" is the best method of watering.

A wise move on using the skewer. The skewer method is great and fool proof.

Yes, I know you shouldn't let the pot sit in water. But is there anything wrong with letting the pot sit in a weak fertilizer solution for, say, 15 minutes? I always flush the pots with running water first. I think both of my catts are going to bloom soon! I can feel buds developing within the newest sheaths. Excitement....

Yes you can let the pot sit in a container of water for 15 minutes without any adverse effects.

Congrats on the buds - please share when they open.

Brooke