Den. bensoniae waking up

[Roberta]

Many of my Dens. go dormant and leafless during the winter and produce new growth + flowers in the spring. Most are small, and I don't bother to dry them out. But Den. bensoniae is a special case. It is on the larger side - canes about 12 inches (30 cm) and mounted on a big slab of cork. It is very reliable about losing all of its leaves in the fall. (Others of my my larger deciduous Dens may keep a few) This one I do dry out - it gets totally ignored all winter. But as others are waking up, this one just sits there until I wonder if it will ever wake up - it doesn't show any signs of action until early June even if I give it an occasional drink of water (I can't resist) But now it is really getting started. Here are some photos. You can see a really old cane (totally shriveled), several that are 2-3 years old that have bloomed in the past - the plant's reserves, Then, last year's canes just starting to show buds. (I'll show it in bloom in a few weeks) And new growth starting.

I have had it for about 4 years, so I should be used to its pattern by now, but each year it still amazes me.

[DeaC]

Yes, she's a big girl. I've just started with Dens. the last 2yrs or so and my chrysotoxum has rewarded me. You're obviously used to the yellow canes on the bensoniae but if I didn't know that was normal, I'd be upset with myself for bad growing. Looking forward to fotos, Roberta!

[Roberta]

The yellow canes are the older ones. Force of nature. (They look yellower in the early morning light, but they are definitely yellow) Some are starting to get a bit soft - they're getting sucked dry slowly. The canes from last year (that are developing the buds) have a whitish layer over the green, making them look pale and sickly, but they are very firm. But given the propensity for the various parts to look dead when they aren't, I don't cut anything that isn't totally shriveled. (There's one in the photo with the new growth that will be a candidate to trim but that is the only one) That's true of deciduous Dens in general - flowers may emerge from canes that you're sure are dead. This one actually does bloom on a given cane only once, but there are others that do it over multiple years.

[Shadeflower]

Interesting Den Roberta, nothing I'd ever grow I'll admit.
I will add my Dendrobium Chrysanthum which might get too big, it was an impulse buy and the size might become an issue but I have no idea how big it will become.

It's been waking up for a while, since beginning of the year and has amazed me by producing 13 leaves already on the new Cane in less than 6 months. In comparrison to some slower growing ones I think that is pretty good from a Dendrobium.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

I will add my Dendrobium Chrysanthum which might get too big, it was an impulse buy and the size might become an issue but I have no idea how big it will become.

It's been waking up for a while, since beginning of the year and has amazed me by producing 13 leaves already on the new Cane in less than 6 months. In comparrison to some slower growing ones I think that is pretty good from a Dendrobium.

That new growth looks great. And those old canes could still surprise you. (some bloom at times other than spring) If it is still too young, the odds for next year (on the growth that's new now) become quite good.

[Roberta]

Finally! Bloomed while I was away for 10 days. But fortunately, these are long-lived flowers. They are lightly fragrant.

[Ben_in_North_FLA]

great display!!!, awesome plant and culture,

[Roberta]

Thanks! This one, for my conditions, is really easy because the plant tells exactly what it wants. Reliably loses leaves in the fall, one of the few things that I actually dry out, I fear that it will never wake up, and suddenly new growth in June, long after everything else is active.