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.

[Kittyfrex]

God I love that. I can't wait to close my roofed balcony in glass in a year or two; i think it's gonna love it there.
Mine also seems to be always thirsty; is the hybrid like that or is mine just lacking more roots? It did suffer like hell.

[NatalieS]

Oh man, I would love to be able to build an enclosed outdoor space! With a little shade cloth and good ventilation, I imagine your hybrid would enjoy it quite a bit.

Mine is also extremely thirsty when it's warm - a good drench every few days, and I grow in mostly moss with some bark thrown in. It's getting cool here now, so the medium is not drying as quickly and I'm watering less.

These grow roots so quickly, though - when I bought mine from the grocery shop around the corner it was mid-Dec, and was in full bloom, but I pulled it out the pot and repotted immediately anyway, and within about a month it had grown a large number of new roots (the old ones were in a pretty bad state, but still obv useful to the plant). It stayed in bloom for about 5 months, so I'm hoping for a repeat performance.

---------- Post added at 02:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:32 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Kittyfrex

God I love that. I can't wait to close my roofed balcony in glass in a year or two; i think it's gonna love it there.
Mine also seems to be always thirsty; is the hybrid like that or is mine just lacking more roots? It did suffer like hell.

Btw, I'm not sure if it's just dust or the lighting, but it looks like you may have had some pest damage on your den hybrid at some point? It's hard to see, but it looks a bit like mites or thrips?

[Roberta]

I just looked...I have an Australian Den hybrid that is in bloom! It did bloom in the spring too. This one has been in the northern hemisphere for years, so this is just what they can do if they want to.

[Kittyfrex]

Originally Posted by NatalieS

Oh man, I would love to be able to build an enclosed outdoor space! With a little shade cloth and good ventilation, I imagine your hybrid would enjoy it quite a bit.

Mine is also extremely thirsty when it's warm - a good drench every few days, and I grow in mostly moss with some bark thrown in. It's getting cool here now, so the medium is not drying as quickly and I'm watering less.

These grow roots so quickly, though - when I bought mine from the grocery shop around the corner it was mid-Dec, and was in full bloom, but I pulled it out the pot and repotted immediately anyway, and within about a month it had grown a large number of new roots (the old ones were in a pretty bad state, but still obv useful to the plant). It stayed in bloom for about 5 months, so I'm hoping for a repeat performance.

---------- Post added at 02:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:32 PM ----------



Btw, I'm not sure if it's just dust or the lighting, but it looks like you may have had some pest damage on your den hybrid at some point? It's hard to see, but it looks a bit like mites or thrips?

It's not gonna be outside, the balcony is very much a part of the house and fully usable. Right now i'm just using shade cloth (the green netting thing) to kill the wind; let's me overwinter M. deliciosa in numbers i can't handle. The perk is that, summer time, there's only ever morning sun, but when winter comes around it's sunny all day on the balcony (an overhand vs hight of the suns orbit). As soon as temp's are under control, it will recieve a vanda and i can 100% guarantee it will have more than enough light (balcony is rectangular south-north).

As for "damage"...well..old houses "dust" a lot. I haven't whiped their leaves this week yet, but i can assure you it is pest free...it's the only issue i seem to sucessfully avoid, parting a singular tiny slug that died 2 days upon arrival by mysterious causes.

---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Roberta

I just looked...I have an Australian Den hybrid that is in bloom! It did bloom in the spring too. This one has been in the northern hemisphere for years, so this is just what they can do if they want to.

Whelp. Considering all my bulbs except tulips (freesia, irises, ixia, narcissus etc) have sprung up en mass, i am not even gonna question blooming anymore. It kills me.