Cattleya help!!
 

okay yesterday I was gifted a yellow cattleya. The overall outlook on the plant looks a bit shrivel on the leaves or described as the (leathery wrinkle look). So as I've had other types of plants and veggies, i decided to do what I am used to doing when the plant looks dry, which is pull it out of the pot inspect the root and proceed from there, the roots where dry and brown so I figured that even before I was gifted this it was underwatered, I did a few clippings to removed the dead root and try to expose some of the still live ones, saw like 3 really green ones so it made me thin that this has a fighting chance, I swapped the pot and placed it in a vented ceramic pot, with bark, did 3 dippings in RO H2O. I did this about 10hrs ago, it received about 8hrs of sun today and I now have it under a high output metal hal, the leaves look leatherish but not as much as this morning and the overall leaves and perception looks a lot better. I guess my question is if Im doing this right or if the plant has no chance, like I said before I have experience with other plants, and veggies, and some hydroculturing but this would be my first orchid.

If the roots were brown and soft, easily peeling from the inner thread, then the catt has been overwatered, not under. Dessicated roots are very light in colour, hard and shriveled. Keep it on the dry side, and make sure the MH light isn't heating it up. Actually, if it can get sun from a window, I'd lose the light altogether.

Let it dry out, keep humidity up by misting and relax - catts are very resilient, especially when they have some good roots. I have one that almost completely rotted in sphagnum in a plastic pot, I repotted it into a clay pot with a chunky airy mix, and in a month it has put out about 5 new roots and is starting 3 new growths. Just don't overwater.

:welcomeflowers:

Definitely stands a reasonable chance, especially if there are a few roots. Psuedobulbs may shrivel more as the plant may need to use the stored food. These aren't likely to plump up again, so resist the urge to water until the media is completely dry. I generally do not mist. Tho do sometimes if plants are rootless. I have one now with only one small aerial root. That one I keep the media quite dry, but do mist the plant daily.

Good luck!