Den. Patricia Van Puyenbroeck new growth

[Kittyfrex]

I just noticed some growth on the top of two of the canes. The picture doesn't have the ability to capture it clearly, but it's rounded, not flattened as the new cane growing.
I was under impression it was a spring bloomer, but it's still too early to tell anyway, but if anyone has an idea of what to expect, please do tell. This is my first and i only got it a few months back.

[NatalieS]

As a complex hybrid, I imagine the blooming period may be a bit varied. This hybrid looks to be registered by Akerne orchids, and orchidroots says it's about 50% kingianum, which I believe can bloom late winter (Dendrobium Patricia Van Puyenbroeck).

Since these types of dens are usually from Australia, you'd actually be in late winter/spring now according to their seasons, though I imagine this plant was cultivated in the northern hemisphere this year if you've had it yourself for several months.

Perhaps it's still operating on it's southern hemisphere cycle lol. Did you buy it from Akerne in Belgium by any chance? They are only an hour from me.

[Kittyfrex]

Actually yeah, I did, alongside a kinganium. Both came super robust, just with dead roots. That one quickly solved on it's own once in moss, and both had put out new leaves/growths since arrival.

My climate is actually similar to to certain parts of australia (i belive west or southwest coast), and i have been advised to keep these in a same manner as a nobile, ie outside, just out of the rain.
I mean, it could still be a leaf, but i didn't notice any tip growth points unlike kinganium, who made a few new leaves as well as cane, whereat patricia only made two small canes and it's midway to producing a signiciantly larger one. The growth pattern also resembles nobile to a degree, at least apparence wise when a top leaf emerges, and it looks nothing like it at all, hence my uncertainty.

I mean, i only got it mid summer, was not expecting blooms for at least a year (a personal default buffer time for new orchids to acclimate; or any other plant tbf).

[NatalieS]

I mean, unless my eyes deceive me, that looks exactly like the initial spike growth on my own den phal hybrid, which now has 4 spikes progressing, and your hybrid does have some den bigibbum in it.

My experience with dendobiums is that they do what they want when they want lol. I bought a den loddigesii from Akerne in late Dec, and it bloomed in April, so they can certainly just bloom if they're happy with their conditions.

In any case, that looks to me like it may be a spike - it could end up being a keiki, but it doesn't look like it could be a leaf imho.

[Kittyfrex]

I have got a den phal hybrid as well, sa-nook (according to label). Not doing so hot; growing but being fussy and dying and then growing beutiful new canes all over again, so i am not relying on that thing.

But now that you mention it, it does resemble that one time it spiked. And, at least on the sa-nook, keikis are usually (for mine) uniformly green when so small, looking like one mass. The node on patricia is small, but i think it looks more like layers, or sheets.

I've also got my kinganium and lindsei from Akerne, as well as a few miniatures like restrepia and a few others. All came quite robust and either produced quite a bit of growth or bloomed (looking at you, 4-5 months of restrepia till mid summer)

[NatalieS]

My hybrid is the sa-nook 'Thailand Black'. It has not only withstood some seriously excessive light and rather warm days, it seems to have enjoyed it (if 4 spikes is anything to go by). So my advice for your currently fussy sa-nook hybrid is to push the light until you see some purple 'sun tan' on the leaves, and keep it in one of your brightest and warmest spots over winter.

Look at the purple on the canes on mine (why that top spike is going off on it's own mission in the opposite direction to everything else is beyond me lol - dens being dens!).

I've bought a number of plants from Akerne, and I've always been happy with them.