What do you do with the old pseudo-bulbs, as the plant moves outward and develops new growth? As they grow turn I'm always tempted to remove them, but I seem to find I cause more damage than help. I'm facing this with a liparis grossa currently. Thanks once again for your help.
The answer to this depends on the condition of the pseudobulbs. You say they turn yellow. Are they shrivelled? Do they still have leaves? A healthy bulb doesn't necessarily need to be removed. In many cases, healthy pseudobulbs can be developed into new plants. If they are shrivelled up or soft then they should be excised and discarded.
You mentioned damage that occurs when you remove old pseudobulbs. Many times the plant will tell you where it wants to be divided, pulling apart easily. If that doesn't work, take care to cut between the old and new pbulbs without damaging eyes on the new ones. If you are removing a pbulb that has any sign of rot, be sure to cut away tissue until you see no more evidence of disease. When you cut something from an orchid, you need to seal the wound. My personal preference for this is a compound of Elmer's Glue and cinnamon.
Hope this helps.
Diana
Let me amend my answer. If the old bulbs are healthy and have leaves and you want to remove them, just pot them up as a division. If there are no leaves but the bulbs are healthy, then you may need to treat them differently in order to produce the new plant.
Diana
If the pseudobulbs yellow and harden, it's no issue and they can be removed at the next repotting. If they are soft, I remove them immediately.
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