Rhyncholaeliocattleya Yen Surprise ‘Seiko’ 2024.06.17

This is the happy ending of an orchid rescue.
Purchased from an Etsy seller in Dec 2022, this orchid came out of the box totally rootless and with extremely shriveled pseudobulbs.

I decided to try and revive her by placing the plant in a vase with some sphagnum moss around the base of the pseudobulbs to stimulate the production of new roots. I sealed the top of the vase with plastic wrap to keep humidity up like in a greenhouse of sorts. Every day I would let some fresh air inside and made sure that the moss stayed moist.

It took three months of intensive care to see the first root tips coming out from the base of the plant. I then transplanted the orchid into a plastic cup filled with bark, so that the new roots would grow into the bark.

During the whole year 2023, the orchid developed and matured only one new growth which, though, was taller than the previous ones. It also established herself into the new pot with a lot of roots. I was hoping for a flower, but the new pseudobulb didn't produce any sheath.

This year, the orchid sent out another new growth, which this time produced a sheath and a bud, and, eventually, a beautiful flower.
This is a very happy ending for a Cattleya that was almost dead. It took a year and a half to recover, but it finally rewarded my patience and care with this gorgeous fragrant bloom.