Dendrobium pseudobulb(?) buried in the medium

[quaquaversal]

Hi all! I repotted my Dendrobium Micro Chip for the first time yesterday and saw what looked like a pseudobulb that was buried in the medium. It wasn't rotting or otherwise unhealthy-looking so I just potted up the plant and kept it under the medium. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do, but I haven't found any information on the issue. I've only had it three months. Has this happened to anyone else? Could it have formed on its own "underground" like that or did the seller deliberately bury it? Is my orchid growing a pod person?

[WhiteRabbit]

Might have been potted that way, or could possibly have grown that way.

[james mickelso]

That pbulb is probably the original division or seed grown plant which was on top the medium when young and growing. Then when the grower repotted it with it's new growth, he probably repotted it with the new growth slightly under the media. that put the old pbulb under the media. As long as there is no rot, not a problem.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You can repot it just above the potting media. I wouldn't keep it buried.

[james mickelso]

Or you can just cut it off entirely. This is just one or the original pbulbs which has no further use to this plant. Planted under the media will not hurt anything and planted above the media will not hurt anything. It is a non-factor to this planting.

[czayta]

I would encourage it to grow right above the media. I don't think it will like being buried for a long time.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Idk, I wouldn't be so quick to remove anything. That's still around for a reason.

It doesn't look characteristic of older growth. It looks like it is newer.

If it were my plant, I'd leave it alone and just grow it above the potting media. Even if you're exposing a little bit of the roots, I don't think that small exposure to air will hurt any of the roots. After all, the majority of the roots are still inside the potting media.

I've had newer growths do something similar, and once I catch it at an early enough stage in development and pull the growth above the potting media, they continue to grow normally.

Since the growth on yours has already matured, it will not grow normally, but it will continue to be alive and provide the other growths with energy.

[quaquaversal]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

That pbulb is probably the original division or seed grown plant which was on top the medium when young and growing. Then when the grower repotted it with it's new growth, he probably repotted it with the new growth slightly under the media. that put the old pbulb under the media. As long as there is no rot, not a problem.

Ahh, that makes sense! I was so surprised to see it under there, I couldn't imagine how it happened.

I'll see if I can dig it out a little tomorrow.

[james mickelso]

It is an older growth that has lost it's leaf long ago. See the top? It has lost a lot of it's store of energy and that is why it has that wrinkled appearance. That was an original growth from which much of the new growth has arisen. Just follow the trail of newer pbulbs from the base of this. Whether it is above or below the media won't make any difference to it. It will continue to wither away to a thin stub. Look at any of the newer pbulbs and then look again at this one. See the difference?

[Fairorchids]

You want the new growths to be at the correct level in the medium. If that jeads to one or two of the old leafless bulbs being a little deeper than normal, so be it.

This is a common issue with some Cattleya also. I have one, that climbs about 1" for each new growth. I ended up mounting that plant.