Dendrobium canes?

[jenilee]

I know this is probably the dumbest question but I can't seem to find an answer so I'll ask

These Dendrobium canes: Are the short little ones with sort of a flakey skin coming off of them...are they the older canes that are no longer active? or are they new canes that will eventually grow up to have leaves and flower?....There has to be a transition between the leafy tall canes and the short leafless ones but I just don't know the timing and which comes first.

Do I have too many canes? Should I do this "division" thing? (and if the answer to that is yes, please tell me what it entails)...

Thanks so much! You are all so great to help newbies like me out!

[Zoi2]

Don't worry about asking qestions, that's what we're here for.
The shorter leafless canes are the older ones. They are green so they are still funtioning. Keikies can grow on them and they provide nutrient storage for the others. No, you do not have too many canes and the plant is not yet large enough to divide. When you repot, if the small canes are brown and shriveled you can snip them off along with any dead roots.
Joann

[jenilee]

Did they ever put out leaves and a spike? They seem so short! It would have been funny looking to have leaves on that little one that's less than an inch tall! How old do you think this plant is? I can't wait until I have the experience to grow it from a baby and actually witness this whole process!

[Orchidflowerchild]

Originally Posted by jenilee

Did they ever put out leaves and a spike? They seem so short! It would have been funny looking to have leaves on that little one that's less than an inch tall! How old do you think this plant is? I can't wait until I have the experience to grow it from a baby and actually witness this whole process!

Well, children are short and funny looking,too. LOL. COnsider that an orchid begins from a seed that is little more than an embryo and a few cells as a seed coat. THe first growths are very small, and will only have a tiny leaf. As the plant produces new growths, they feed off the stores of the older growths and the increasing numbers of roots, and get larger and larger until they can support blooms.

And in my opinion division is highly overrated. Regarde:



(not my plant or photo, but just lookit how COVERED IN FLOWERS!)

=Cj

[Orchidflowerchild]

ANd your plant is probably about 5-7 years old. You likely bought it on a 2nd or 3rd bloom, maybe even first,andno, the smaller growths never put out flowers. First bloom takes a few years for most tropical orchids.

-Cj

[jenilee]

Originally Posted by Orchidflowerchild

Well, children are short and funny looking,too. LOL.=Cj

[RosieC]

Yeap, the short ones in your picture are old canes and they are short because the plant was young when it grew them. As the longer canes age they will still be tall, but will go leafless.

New canes grow as a green growths with the leaves forming as they grow. I was trying to find if I had a photo of one growing but can't find one. They start as little green points at the base of other canes.

[CTB]

Looks just like most of mine, not very pretty but they are functional. If they die they become mussy you'll know. Watch for little sprouts.