New growth on my orchid.

[TriforceRay]

My orchid is getting new growth. I have a few questions. Some of the growth is coming from the base and some of the growth is coming from the stems. Im including pictures.
My questions. The new growth that has some things that look like small roots can i remove that and put it in a new pot and if i can how long do i wait until i do that?
Second what can i do to help it grow more. I repoted the orchid today in some bark and did a fast watering. Did i have to soak the bark in some water for a certain amount of time? Oh and also What kind of orchid am i growing there i have no clue. No name when i bought it. The flowers were a hot pink to a light hot purple color.

[gnathaniel]

Hi Ray, it looks like you may have a dendrobium hybrid involving species in section Dendrobium, aka 'nobile-type.' These generally like bright light, lots of water and fertilizer while growing, and a cooler, drier period in the winter.

The vegetative growths coming from upper nodes on the pseudobulb are known as keikis. Their occurrence often indicates the plant is stressed, though some species and hybrids in this section are more prone to them than others. You can remove and pot them up as soon as they have roots, but they'll grow better and bloom sooner if you leave them on the mother plant until they begin developing a second growth at their own base.

Your plant looks like it may be a bit overpotted, I'd suggest a quick repot to a much smaller container. These plants like tight pots with good aeration and drainage, otherwise they don't seem too picky about the medium. Mounting also works well if you don't mind watering a lot in the summer. Hope this helps!

--Nat

[TriforceRay]

Thanks for the input Nathaniel. Im new to this so im not sure what Mounting is. Is there a way to link me to a definition of it or a video? What can i do to destress the plant. I do worry about it because the stems it has on it already seem to shrivel when i water it once a week. If i water it twice a week the stems plump up again but then the leaves start yellowing and falling. IDK what im doing wrong. Ill repot it to its original pot again.

[gnathaniel]

Mounting refers to the practice of growing an orchid (or other epiphyte) on a piece of wood, stone, plastic, etc. instead of in a pot with medium. The OB forum on mounting is a good place to start:

Growing on Mounts - Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web !

And some other useful links:

Why we love mounted orchids and why you will too!

Developing an Orchid Collection with Backbulbs: Orchid mounting

Don't worry about leaf drop, as long as the pseudobulbs are okay (plump, firm, green) everything is fine. Most of these Dens are naturally deciduous within a year or two anyway. When your plant is actively growing (which it is now) it needs lots of water to properly develop the next generation of pseudobulbs.

--Nat

[TriforceRay]

Thank you very much Nathaniel I really do appreciate your input on this. This is a great forum i think i will donate in the near future.

[quiltergal]

Hi Ray. If you do decide to pot down a size (which I would also recommend) make sure you soak the new bark for at least 24 hours draining and refilling several times. If you use it without soaking it won't be able to retain water when you water and your plant will get too dry too fast.

[scy]

Congratulations on the new growth! I would leave the keikis on the mother plant until the roots get longer (total 3" of root growth). As for the canes shriveling, as long as the mother's roots are in good shape, it's ok. It takes a lot of energy for the keikis, so you're not doing anything wrong. Do not increase watering unless the medium is dry and needs it. You don't want to risk drowning your orchid.

[TriforceRay]

Originally Posted by scy

Congratulations on the new growth! I would leave the keikis on the mother plant until the roots get longer (total 3" of root growth). As for the canes shriveling, as long as the mother's roots are in good shape, it's ok. It takes a lot of energy for the keikis, so you're not doing anything wrong. Do not increase watering unless the medium is dry and needs it. You don't want to risk drowning your orchid.

Thank you i was really worried about the canes shriveling. i repoted the plant but i made sure to soak the medium for over 12 hours. I did what i read from another member. Soak, drain, soak, drain lather rinse repeat. Thank you very much for telling me how long i should wait till the keikis roots grow before its ok to remove it. Im worried im over fertilizing so today i went out and bought a gallon of distilled water and pretty much rubbed my fingers all over it while i sprayed it to remove any excess fertilizer and salts.

[scy]

Sounds like you're doing everything right! Just be careful not to handle the roots unless absolutely necessary as it's easy for them to get damaged.