Blc. Booth Lee 'Venice' Bent Pseudobulb

[theplantpimp]

Hi there,

I noticed recently that one of the larger developing pseudobulbs on my Blc. Booth Lee 'Venice' is BENT!! The plant is growing outside, and the recent windy weather may well be the culprit, as I don't recall anything happening when I watered. The foliage is otherwise healthy, for now, and seems to remain attached; I'm not tugging too hard just yet to find out!!

For the time being, I've straightened it out by securing it to a stake; only time will tell, right?

Color me curious to know if this has happened to you, what you did with your plant, thoughts on what causes such, and any success stories on rehabbing a bent pseudobulb.

I was surprised my search yielded no results; granted, I'm new here, and may need to learn
the ins and outs with regards to keywords.

Cheers~

[WhiteRabbit]

Interesting ... pbulb is firm?

[theplantpimp]

That is correct. The "bent" area is covered by the sheathing bract, obscuring a proper visual inspection.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by theplantpimp

That is correct. The "bent" area is covered by the sheathing bract, obscuring a proper visual inspection.

Interesting ...
I have no idea I've had some grow at very odd angles, but not actually bent ...

Hopefully some other members will chime in!

[theplantpimp]

Update: It would appear my concern was unfounded, at least with regards to the bulb!! The sheathing bract removed, I can now see that the leaves are simply growing from a lower place than most of the others on the plant, which resulted in a very "floppy/bent" appearance.

All appears okay, apart from no sign of buds yet, so I'm thinking of increasing the light on this one.

Thanks for your replies, WhiteRabbit!!

[Leisurely]

If the growth is fast and light inadequate, the pseudobulb or leaf can easily become floppy. I have a Laelia anceps that does that with each new growth. I just provide a little extra support until the growth matures.

[tucker85]

I've had pseudobulbs that were bent. It occurs when the outer sheath or sarong (the part that eventually dies and turns brown) is too strong for the pseudobulb to break through. It gets caught and grows at a bent angle. The same thing can happen to a flower spike that can't break out of the sheath.

[theplantpimp]

Thanks for the feedback!!

[My Green Pets]

Welcome to the board, your username is pretty fly for a plant guy, []D[][V][]D

[theplantpimp]

Update: This morning, I was a bit too hasty while pulling back the drapes, and the next thing I heard was a *SNAP*, and watched in horror as the now infamous "bent" part fell to the floor, along with some beautifully developing buds in tow, leaving one leaf on the pseudobulb. (This plant has both unifoliate and bifoliate pseudobulbs)

Fortunately, the plant is developing buds on another growth, and there's another which may soon follow suit; rest assured, I'll be more careful moving forward.