The only problem with a one PB division is the time needed for the plant to get big enough to flower again.

You don't need three pbulbs in order for the plant to flourish. One pbulb will certainly live and continue to grow if given proper care, and each year it should throw out another bulb. However, it will take several years for it to bloom, as it usually takes a minimum of three bulbs, and possibly five, before it will bloom.

You might not want to keep the two plants in one pot. The one pbulb may need different care than the huge mother plant. If you do pot it up by itself, put it in the smallest pot that will accommodate the roots.

Two things. New PBs from the single will be smaller than the one they are coming from, this is normal. Eventually they will reach full normal size. #3 may even be smaller than #2. #2 was produced by the large #1, #3 is produced mainly by #2 which is smaller than #1. Patience is the word of the day.

Another option is to stick the solo right in with the larger plant. The larger plant will give you one, then 2, maybe 3 flowers. Unnoticed, the little guy matures and one year you will have one extra flower. A couple of years later you will have 2 plants, with their growths intermingled, produce flowers.

The growers do it all the time. Go to any of the big Cattleya sites on EBay and you will find them spouting off about a huge plant with 8 PBs but no flowers yet. These are actually 2 plants which came from 2 small seedlings which were put in the same pot. Gives them 'a large plant' in half the time which commands more money. As you said, catts bloom with 5 pbs, this hypothetical plant has 8, in reality it is 2 x 4. Eventually you get 2 flowers at the same time, no problem.

Nick

Thanks for your replies.
Sorry I cd not get back earlier, had chores.
The solo pb has a big green sheath, like it was going to make a flower.
Will it continue to do so or will it abort the process.

It will not make a flower because you are going to cut the sheath off. The plant needs all it's energy to survive, not flower.

Nick

I agree that to get the second plant you need to not let it bloom now.

Are there any roots with the single PB? That makes a difference as to how I would treat it.

Thanks again for replies.
Yes, the solo pb has small emerging roots and things that look like eyes.

If it has roots you can water it. No point watering a plant that has no roots. All it does is cause rot.

Nick

Some time ago as seen by the above post, I spoke about the one PB I got from a neighbour. ANyway, I planted it along with the other three pbs. Two separate plants.
THe Lone PB had some eyes and small nubs for roots.
THe other three had a sheath, but no visible flower shadow inside.
Anyway, low and behold the lone PB has grown taller, and the other plant with the sheath with no shadow, has bloomed with three little buds.
Problem is, the flowers are so small. They look like flowers from a minature cattleya plant.
Is this because their growth was aborted when it was cut from the mother plant?
I went back next door to the original orchid owner, and his plant which is huge, still in the tree crotch, has tons of large purple blooms.
If the flower was already in the blooming stage (my plant) why didn't it continue and become large like the mother?
Thanks for any responses.
I went back to the original posts for refernce. Hope this is allright.