Rogue Pleione praecox

[SteveC2]

Well not really a rogue but it got your attention.
Three Pleione praecox sitting in a pot.  One did nothing. The second started a normal growth.  The third is the interesting one.  It's started a growth at the top, new shoot and roots, more like a keiki on a tropical orchid rather than a pleione bulbil.
Well veteran growers what would you do?
a) Leave it alone.
b) Bury it in a little moss.  Will the main bulb and any other growths like this?
c) None of the above.
Any advice much appreciated.

[Maren]

Hi Steve, I've had that happen on my praecox. I just scraped away the compost on the 'keiki' side, then inclined the pseudobulb slightly so that the keiki roots touched the compost and then draped some moss over them. Seemed to work alright.

Or you could try to detach it from it's mother. Certainly the roots should be in compost or they will shrivel and nothing will come of the new bulb, they are trying to support.

Good luck.

[SteveC2]

Thanks Maren.  That's what I hoped someone would say, because I did it this morning then had second thoughts, hence the posting!

[Maggi Young]

because I did it this morning then had second thoughts, hence the posting!

[Slug Killer]

I've also had this on maculata and praecox and is usually because the normal shoots have aborted. I just build up around it with some moss.

One thing a would say is that your mix looks rather wet. Be careful at this stage as you want the new roots to go searching for water and it only needs to be damp until you have more leaf growth.

[SteveC2]

Point taken David.  The pot had just received this week's water when I took the photograph.  Usually at this time of year I just put a little in the saucer and let it soak up but because of the rogue's roots I sprayed it and it's remarkable just how wet a mister can make moss!
With respect to the possibly aborted bud, I've only recently acquired these three due to the death of a friend and I have a theory that the main bud may have been removed during tidying up at source.  All of last year's "netting" had been removed and there was no sign of a normal bud at any point.  
It was quite a morning for oddities though.  I also noticed that one of my maculata has three leaves, all fully developing.