Odd rhizome and ugly pseudobulb

[SaraJean]

I’ve only been growing cattleyas for about a year so I have no clue if this is normal behavior or not for this genus. When I went to repot one of my C. walkerianas I cut off one of the ugly, rootless back bulbs that wasn’t really fitting well into the new pot and would have wound up getting partially buried (main plant still has about 8 p-bulbs, normally I don’t cut off any p-bulbs unless they are dried up or squishy). There is a weird band of brownish/red color on the inside of the rhizome and the bulb is shriveled and has black/brown markings on it.

Sooooo, is any of this normal on older growth? Maybe caused by dehydration? Or is it an indication of some sort of fungal or bacterial infection? Some of the other back bulbs have a similar pattern but I didn’t go hacking them off just yet.

[estación seca]

If the plant was growing well I wouldn't worry about it. I would not chop up an otherwise happy plant based on something I found that I wasn't expecting.

People talk about a purple ring in the rhizome with Fusarium fungus infection. If you take this pseudobulb to a nearby university or agricultural extension office, they might be able to look at it under the microscope and diagnose it for you.

[Roberta]

I just see a dead area - the brown at the base of the p-bulb is dry, and where the rhizome is cut looks pretty dead too. I don't see any sign of the creeping rot that can get into a rhizome and kill a plant, this just looks like normal die-off of an old part of the plant. If the front area looks normal, I think you're fine.

[SaraJean]

Sounds good. It’s putting out 2 new leads and roots right now, I’ll just keep an eye on it. I wasn’t planning on hacking anymore off unless someone chimed in with “oh my god! It’s the plague!”. I’m slowly learning this group so I’m unfamiliar with what die back looks like on the old backbulbs. This is one is my newest C. walkeriana and it’s in the worst shape (though not too bad) with the most shriveled and discolored pbulbs. My other 5 walkerianas have some reddish coloration on a few of the bulbs, most likely from light or possibly nutrient deficiency, they just didn’t look like this one so I wasn’t sure if I needed to be concerned. Thanks!

[Roberta]

The thing to watch for is black rot - which will jump out at you, show even before it gets soft. If pseudobulb gets it near the top (leaf falls off and the black creeps down the bulb) or worse at the bottom (a hint that it's in the rhizome) that's the time for surgery down to clean tissue. "Brown and dry" isn't usually a big deal, especially if new growth is developing at the other end of the plant.

[Ray]

A mercenary yet good suggestion: treat your collection with Inocucor Garden Solution. It is an elixir of live bacteria and fungi that predate pathogenic ones.

[Dollythehun]

Ray, I am so glad you don't sell shoes! Lol and SaraJean, I love your sense of humor. You guys make me laugh!

I don't think you should worry either, it just looks old and tired (like me).

[Ray]

That's funny, Dolly. My wife insists I BUY more shoes than she does...

Actually, it wasn't a hijack at all. If you have a concern about a bacterial or fungal infection - and none of us can make an accurate diagnosis via a photograph - my suggestion was a good one.

[SaraJean]

Originally Posted by Ray

A mercenary yet good suggestion: treat your collection with Inocucor Garden Solution. It is an elixir of live bacteria and fungi that predate pathogenic ones.

I actually just bought some from you in preparation of getting my first flask. Haven’t bought a flask yet, and not sure what type I’m going to get, but I wanted to try my hand at it and hopefully the Inocucor will help keep the murder rate down. I hadn’t even thought of using it on this orchid, so that’s good to know!

---------- Post added at 12:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:37 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Ray, I am so glad you don't sell shoes! Lol and SaraJean, I love your sense of humor. You guys make me laugh!

I don't think you should worry either, it just looks old and tired (like me).

Funny you mention that. I just had a birthday and the conversation between my husband and I went like this-
Him:”so your birthday is coming up and I know there was that pair of boots you’ve been eyeballing.”
Me: “hold up. I just got the spring order list for H&R, so, yeah... what boots? Who needs boots?”

[Dollythehun]

Me. Lots. Boots would have been on my vanity plate but someone took it first.

And Ray, Ray loves shoes....