When do these dendrobiums bloom?

[K-Sci]

This hybrid dendrobium from Lowes was flowering from the newest stalk when we got it three years ago. This year it put out a rather lame flower stalk from last years growth. Is it likely to flower again this season when the newest growth matures?

-Keith

[estación seca]

Den phal hybrids usually flower on complete or near complete mature growths. Each leaf node has one dormant meristem that may become an inflorescence or a keiki. If conditions aren't correct they may not flower for a while, then flower prodigiously from older stems that didn't previously flower. The best answer to your question is, nobody knows.

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Mine are blooming now. These two pots are divisions of the same plant and have been growing on my deck since I got them about 7 yrs ago. You might need to zoom in to see all the spikes. This year it 8s blooming from last year's canes as well as the new growths. It seems to be happy. Grown with full sun from about noon till the sun goes behind the neighbor's house about 5pm, under a 50% shade cloth.

[K-Sci]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Den phal hybrids usually flower on complete or near complete mature growths. Each leaf node has one dormant meristem that may become an inflorescence or a keiki. If conditions aren't correct they may not flower for a while, then flower prodigiously from older stems that didn't previously flower. The best answer to your question is, nobody knows.

Hey, e.s., as usual your advice is right on. This was the answer to my question. You said:

"If conditions aren't correct they may not flower for a while, then flower prodigiously from older stems that didn't previously flower."

I have two identical plants. They were moved to my new greenhouse this year, and seem to be very happy about it. One produced a nice spike from last year's growth, the other, the one pictured, put out a small inflorescence from a growth with two previous spike stubs. The new growths from both plants are still maturing. Just now I looked, and see that one of them has a second spike coming in from the new growth.

What I learned is that I should hang on and wait. These plants are just getting started.



-Keith

---------- Post added at 07:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:01 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Dusty Ol' Man

Mine are blooming now. These two pots are divisions of the same plant and have been growing on my deck since I got them about 7 yrs ago. You might need to zoom in to see all the spikes. This year it 8s blooming from last year's canes as well as the new growths. It seems to be happy. Grown with full sun from about noon till the sun goes behind the neighbor's house about 5pm, under a 50% shade cloth.

Nice. I never liked the cane-type dendrobiums but my wife loves them. Now that I'm growing them I'm starting to like them. Because two of my dendrobiums have identical flowers I was going to sell the one pictured b/c it had only 3-4 flowers despite growing like a weed. Bottom line, I was jumping the gun. They're both going to flower from the new growths too.

-Keith

[YetAnotherOrchidNut]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Den phal hybrids usually flower on complete or near complete mature growths. Each leaf node has one dormant meristem that may become an inflorescence or a keiki. If conditions aren't correct they may not flower for a while, then flower prodigiously from older stems that didn't previously flower. The best answer to your question is, nobody knows.

Thanks, that explains what I've seen nicely. Do they ever flower after ther dropped their leaves? I've seen spikes from older healthy canes with all their leaves but never from the ones that have dropped, is there any chance they will bloom again like Nobiles will? I have a very similar plant to the one from this thread and I've been thinking about removing some of the old canes when I next repot, would that be a mistake?

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Originally Posted by YetAnotherOrchidNut

Thanks, that explains what I've seen nicely. Do they ever flower after ther dropped their leaves? I've seen spikes from older healthy canes with all their leaves but never from the ones that have dropped, is there any chance they will bloom again like Nobiles will? I have a very similar plant to the one from this thread and I've been thinking about removing some of the old canes when I next repot, would that be a mistake?

Excuse me for taking the liberty of answering this. ES may have additional info.
Not necessarily. However, I tend to leave old canes attached until they completely dry out. The newer growths can use the resources from the old.

[YetAnotherOrchidNut]

Yeah, they are very shriveled and a fraction of the size of the more recent cane. Id say the most recent cane is 3x the size of the largest of the ones I want to remove.

Thanks for replying. :-)

[estación seca]

Yes, if the cane hasn't flowered before, it might do so. I leave them attached until they're completely dead.

[K-Sci]

The flowers in the photo in the OP are on an old cane that flowered previously. That dendrobium started a spike from this years growth after I started this thead. Interestingly, the flowering on the two growths were initiated about 6 weeks apart.

-Keith