Should I cut my Dendrobium nobile canes?

[Gillian Higgitt]

Hi all, I know this question has already been asked on another thread, but I just want to be sure!!!

My Den. Nobile is still flowering and it looks like there are more flowers to come. After it has finished flowering should I cut any of the old canes? I have noticed that several old canes have been cut and that two of the flowering canes look old and dried out, should they eventually be cut too? At the moment there are 5 old flowering canes(not many flowers per cane), 3 young mature canes with what looks like new buds on one, and 2 baby canes in the pot.

Thanks for your help!

Gill

[cb977]

Hi Gillian

The only time it's necessary to remove (not cut) a Den cane is when, and if, it becomes brown or mushy. The old canes store water and food for the growing plant.

[Ray]

Doesn't D. nobile rebloom from old canes?

[quiltergal]

Yes it will rebloom off of old canes. Think of the old canes as a camels hump. They store water and nutrients that the plant will use during it's dry winter rest period. If those old canes weren't there the plant might die during the dry rest period as it has no reserves to draw from. If you don't give it a dry, cool rest in winter it won't bloom.

[Gillian Higgitt]

Thanks for this, the old canes seem so battered,bless them. There are a few dry stumps in the pot so I don't know what happened there...Perhaps I should think about repotting after it has flowered...Or should I leave well alone???

Gill

[Ross]

Perhaps a little clarification. I believe the Nobile dendros bloom off last year's canes. If this is what you meant by "old", then yes. But canes that have bloomed already rarely rebloom (at least not with type II Nobile types, such as D. anosmum). The canes should never be cut until they dry up completely. I've attached a photo of my anosmum in bud on last year's canes and it shows several years of back bulbs. Yes these are the water/nutrient reservoir and it's common for the very oldest canes to completely be used up and shrivel. These can be trimmed if you don't like the appearance.

If you look at the top of this clump of canes, you'll see several that are yellow. You can also see where I trimmed the bottom shriveled portion off. These are getting pretty much used up as they feed the plant during dormancy. This same principle should be true for type I Nobiles, such as D. nobile, which grow more upright.

[quiltergal]

Ross I have one that has a bloom on a two year old cane! Granted it was from a node that did not bud last year.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Ross I have one that has a bloom on a two year old cane!

Is that a type I or type II? I'm only familiar with the type I nobiles in principle (my collection only includes type II nobiles). The point I am making is still that until the cane is totally used up, don't mess with it. Is that better?

[quiltergal]

I don't know the diff between type 1 & 2. It's a hybrid NOID with big fat canes if that helps.

[cb977]

Question: Should I cut my Dendrobium nobile canes?

Answer: No