Do new growths grow slower than spikes?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by redcoats36

Thanks Roberta! My fdk has only lost 1 leaf so far, with another yellowing so it seems like it is only just entering dormancy. I haven't watered it since the beginning of November. That's why I wasn't sure if the nubbins were spikes or new growth. I read that it's sometimes hard to tell until it grows more but mine is just growing extremely slowly, so I was wondering if maybe that meant they were new growths not spikes.

It is very possible that they are new growths.. sometimes they "peek out" well before the plant is ready to wake up. That's where the discipline comes in... it is soooo tempting to start watering at the first sign of "action" . Don't succumb to the temptation. Keeping it dry, you're telling it "Go back to sleep..." like a little kid who wakes you up at 2 AM with "I want a glass of water"

Actually, there ARE some catasetinae (like Clowesia Rebecca Northen) that bloom from bare pseudobulbs before the leaves appear. Same deal... even when they do that, they're not ready for watering, necessary to wait for the new growth.