Best way to manage this unruly den nobile hybrid

[cuckoo]

This is about 4.5 years of growth from a tiny bit blooming size plants with 4-5 small to medium sized canes. I had put it in a hanging basket next to a sw window with supplemental overhead grow lights lights in the evening. Some leaves appear to have sun damage while a bunch of new canes appear to be diving downwards leaving old leafless canes exposed in the middle. A second round of new growth is emerging and they are likely thankful for sparse middle to grow without jostling. There was two rounds of bud development this winter, the first giving abundant blooms but the second later round turned out to be keikis on some canes and shrivelled up on others. I am concerned that those newer canes have now lost the ability to bloom from those nodes while not even producing any kiekis. So, what's the best way to optimize growth, flowering and display

[estación seca]

It is a beautiful, well-grown plant. Congratulations!

According to Yamamoto Dendrobiums, the commonest cause of poor flowering, and no flowering but keiki production, is fertilizing too much, plus fertilizing too late in the growing season. They suggest not fertilizing at all past about August. It's fine to water all year, but less in winter. They also say flowering is triggered by 6 weeks of night temperatures at or below 55 F / 13C.

It also looks dark green - I would try to give more light, short of sunburn, especially in winter. They grow in nature on deciduous trees and get very high light in winter.

Have a look here:
Yamamoto Dendrobiums: Caring

Yamamoto Dendrobiums: Hints

[alecStewart1]

I'll pop in and say that what estacion said about fertilization is what happens for Den. moniliforme and the other nobile Dens I have.

[cuckoo]

I have been really delinquent with fertilizing my orchids generally and don't think I fertilized before new growth started. It gets fairly low temperatures through the winter low and high sixties for several months and then a month in high 40s to 50s. The problem with this one is that it starts new growth while it is setting buds and/or flowering.

I agree it is greener than it should be, but I have given it the sunniest window I have and grow lights. Not sure how I can give it more light. I just put it outside on the balcony (which has its own share of non-orchid plants jostling for space) and tied the downturned canes to the hanger so they are more upright.

I wouldn't complain about flowering (apart from loss of potentially flowering nodes to aborted growth of buds/keikis), here is what it looked like this march. The issue is if I should fertilize at all or starve it while it starts new growth and potentially a round of dozens of keiki while it is still blooming. I have given it an occasional high P fertilizer at that time.
Reddit - Dive into anything

Other consideration are, should it be divided to make it more presentable and well behaved. I know I have a problem of plenty here but it seems yellow hybrids are just very prolific. I have another yellow-peach one that is growing like this one did a couple years back -short but abundant canes, at least two cycles of growth from multiple growth points...

[estación seca]

High phosphate fertilizer isn't better than usual fertilizers. The Yamamoto site says to use nitrogen containing fertilizers from when new shoots can be seen until growths are half grown.

[cuckoo]

Here it is chilling out on the balcony. It will only get afternoon sun but it is a lot brighter than the window even without direct sun so maybe it will lose that extra green color.
I have four new growths just over a couple of inches tall while the 9 previous growths are probably more than half grown, probably 75-80% grown (how does one tell, i have some fairly short canes and some moderately tall and some approaching decent height, in all). I am not sure if it is my care that makes the canes not nearly as tall as most den nobile I see out there or just the characteristic of this hybrid. Anyhow. it is likely too early stop fertilizing at this point. Also, how does this calculus take account of the keiki growth, I think there are about 5 of those hanging around right now.

[Roberta]

Fertilize now, it is the growing time. In late summer/early fall you can cut back. The "decision" of keikis vs flowers i I suspect happens in the fall or winter when it slows down and gets ready for the next season. Keikis that you have now can also flower next spring. Once they develop good roots (late summer) you can separate them and pot them up as separate plants if you want to, but there is no requirement to do so- let them add to next year's flower power! (One strong plant, in my opinion, is better than a bunch of small weak ones)

[estación seca]

They are being bred for smaller height, to make them more attractive for windowsill growers. Maybe you have one of those.

Don't take the keikis into account when deciding when to fertilize.

Many Dens. make multiple growths per season. I start fertilizing when the first ones emerge, and stop in August or September. My growing season is longer so I may fertilize later in the calendar than might be appropriate in cooler areas.