When to water a tiny bulb
 

So I have this tiny pbulb, about the size of my thumbnail as you can see. It has a new growth, that has started out putting roots.

I don't think the bulb will be around if I wait until the roots are the 4 inch recommendation. When should I water it then? The bulb is fairly shriveled and the roots tiny.

Thumb for scale. Lol

Hi! While I know it can be nerve-racking, I would absolutely wait until you have roots 3-4 inches long and leaves 6-8 inches. If you water any sooner, you are very likely to rot out your new growth and be left with nothing to work with. The new growth will find its way, so don't interrupt the process with water until its time...

Which orchid is it?

I think it is a clowesia cross. Lost the tag last summer sometime

---------- Post added at 07:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:23 PM ----------

What about watering from the bottom to get the old roots wet and some water into the bulb?

You're in a very difficult spot, but go with what the asparagus told you. If you water these too early they die. The old roots and pseudobulb are dead, and watering from below will not get water to the new plant. Let the new roots grow to the length mentioned. The tiny pseudobulb will indeed shrivel more.

What about watering from the bottom to get the old roots wet and some water into the bulb?[/QUOTE]

I could be wrong about this, but I don't think the old roots are going to take up much, if any, hydration at this point. I was guessing it was some sort of Clowesia, as I've had ones where the old back bulbs look like that- really worse for the wear, death's door, etc. But the new growth pushes through and does fine. There's more nutrients in that old withered carcass than you may realize...

I don't think all the roots die. I've been able to water mid winter to plump bulbs back up. I have central gas hear. It gets dry in my house in January and February. I just watch one of Isurus79's videos and talks about being able to plump up bulbs by letting them soak. Maybe I'll wait until our resident expert chimes in.

I do appreciate the advice and discussion so far as well.

Sure, and not to be contentious, but I think there's a sort of past the point of no-return where an old back bulb isn't going to rehydrate- I'd say yours is at that point, but just my opinion. I think the risk of rotting out your new growth is greater than the slim chance you're going to get a resurrection (Easter theme) on that old bulb. I'd love to hear Stephen's thoughts as well.

I think you're right and I think I'm in denial. Lol

You can try just a bit of water around the edge of the pot (away from the new growth) That may give just a touch of humidity to the mix. If kept warm, and the growth and new root don't get direct water, you'll probably give it a chance to get going to where it reaches the "water me" point. There's a little bit of green at the base of the old pseudobulb... so the new growth does still have a resource to suck nutrition from. It'll be a race to see if it can reach the point where it can survive before it sucks the old p-bulb dry.