Severe pseudobulb shrivelling after Cattleya re-potting

[bethmarie]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

I would get rid of the sphagnum top layer. You want thorough drying between watering.

Ditto!

[Ray]

Deanna, you need to keep the plant warm, shady, and in maximum humidity until it recovers.

At the time of repotting, the roots, which were functioning well in the old medium, were not optimized for your new medium, so started failing.

As the plant then had little means to take up water, yet still had plenty of surface area to lose it through transpiration, it had to expend the water it had stored, hence the shriveling.

If you maximize the RH around the plant (inverting a clear plastic bag over the plant and pot will do that), you slow the water loss, giving the plant time to grow roots and recover.

[deanna83]

Originally Posted by Ray

Deanna, you need to keep the plant warm, shady, and in maximum humidity until it recovers.

At the time of repotting, the roots, which were functioning well in the old medium, were not optimized for your new medium, so started failing.

As the plant then had little means to take up water, yet still had plenty of surface area to lose it through transpiration, it had to expend the water it had stored, hence the shriveling.

If you maximize the RH around the plant (inverting a clear plastic bag over the plant and pot will do that), you slow the water loss, giving the plant time to grow roots and recover.

Much appreciated Ray. It's winter here, so I will bring the plant indoors and try a bag over its leaves.
Hopefully I can return to the thread in a month or two with good news!