Rejuvenating Maxillaria tenuifolia

[greenhouseFrog]

I was gifted this Maxillaria tenuifolia by a friend of mine, and while excited, I’m concerned by the desiccation of the pseudobulbs.From what I’ve been able to gather concerning their care, these prefer pretty consistent moisture and it seems mine may not have received it as consistently so is to keep the bulbs plump.

There seems to be a growth that looks plump near the base of the plant, so there’s some moisture in it, but I was wondering if giving it a very thorough watering with Kelpak would do more harm than good as the season gets cooler by FL standards. Is there a chance that the shriveled bulbs could rehydrate?

Thanks in advance!

[Roberta]

Kelpak would be a good thing... the plant looks pretty dehydrated, that could be due to lack of water, or bad roots. My guess is, water is the biggie. Based on the plants that you showed in the ID section, your friend wasn't very consitent with hydration, an easy problem to fix. The dehydrated pseudobulbs probably won't plump up, but new growths will be fine. I don't think you need to worry about temperature, in your climate most orchids will keep on actively growing through the winter - you may get brief periods of chill but not enough to faze anything.