How handle dendrobium nobile keikis

[TeresaJulia]

Hi Orchidboard Team,

TL;DR
My dendrobium nobile is producing a lot of keikis without roots. I thought I could cut them off and put in sphagnum moss to promote root growth and then repot. Is it a good idea?


It's my first post here so hello to everyone I've been growing orchids for several years, mainly those which you can find at supermarkets (phals, dendrobiums, cambrias), but 2 years ago I moved to very dry apartment in Switzerland and I had less time for my plants, many of them didn't really cope well with the place change, so I wouldn't call myself very succesful and experienced orchid grower

Nevertheless, there is one orchid which make it and I want her to thrive. It's Ikea dendrobium nobile type and since 3 years I couldn't really adjust her to bloom in February/March as I don't have space which is bright and cold enough for winter rest. It stays on my balcony during warmer seasons.

As a result, this dendrobium blooms poorly whenever she wants and has mainly vegetative growth, keeps producing keikis like crazy (look at the photos). I would like to detach keikis and pot them seperataly but none of them developed any roots. Do you think cutting them off and putting in sphagnum moss to promote root growth and then make a repot is a good idea or I should leave the mother plant as it is?

Thank you in advance for help!

[Shadeflower]

Hi Theresa,
don't cut those keiki's off, they won't make it.

I am in a similar situation where my dendrobium has been making keiki's for close to two years, I finally decided to cut a couple of them with the longest roots off this month and they are hanging in there but you have to realize once you have cut the keiki's off the mother plant they then need to get as big as the mother plant to be able to flower....

So you have to ask yourself, once you have cut the keiki off with no roots whatsoever, how long will it take to become as big as the mother and the answer without roots is most likely never. Even with roots as you can imagine it will take years.

So leave the keiki on, let it produce another cane on the mother plant, some of mine have 3 canes still attached to the mother plant.

I can't tell you what will happen to my keiki's I am growing some that are about half as big as the mother plant they came from but still a while before they are flowering size too.

[Roberta]

First, Welcome!

Totally agree, keikis with no roots won't survive separated from the plant. If Den. nobile-type plant is producing keikis instead of flowers, it may be due to getting too much nitrogen. Even during the active growth period these need very little fertilizer. In the fall and winter, they need none. Winter should be drier (but not bone dry... learned that the hard way). A winter chill may also inspire blooming.

Once you get the conditions more favorable for blooming, those keikis can also bloom, making an even better display. Big, strong plants are better than small weak ones!

[yug]

What if the main stem was cut in pieces with a keiki or two attached, and then potted up separately?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by yug

What if the main stem was cut in pieces with a keiki or two attached, and then potted up separately?

I still think that the odds are that the keikis wouldn't survive. And one would also be destroying a cane that might be capable of blooming... remember that these can bloom on leafless canes.

[TeresaJulia]

Thanks for all your replies! I will definitely follow the "less fertilizer advice" in winter. In the meantime I noticed that some keikis started finally producing roots (after 2 years!) so I think I will wait until they get longer and cut one off and plant it for the sake of experiment. The rest of the keikis I'll leave at the mother plant as they are.

[yug]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I still think that the odds are that the keikis wouldn't survive. And one would also be destroying a cane that might be capable of blooming... remember that these can bloom on leafless canes.

Once a node has either bloomed or made a keiki, it won't do anything else. Maybe you are referring to nodes that have not done either?