My Den kingianum has spike nubbins, now what?

[camille1585]

I just arrived back home in France on Thursday for the holidays and first thing I did was inspect my orchids that had stayed there and were being cared for by my sister. Extreme lack of water was the main problem,(one phal is in very sorry shape) and the kingianums did not get a drop of water in 2 months (much to my horror). The canes are extremely shriveled, some keikis died, but is seems like there are spike like nubbins coming out of the tops of the canes!

Do I start watering them on a normal schedule again, or keep the reduced watering (every 3 weeks or so) until the spikes are further along? I'm new to kingianums, so I don't know what I should do.

[shakkai]

I wouldn't resume normal watering until you can see buds developing. Give them a good soak now, as they're so dry, then leave them until January. Maybe give them another good soak before you go back to school, then they should be set for a while.

Only once you start to see new canes forming, would I start giving them lots of water again.

[dounoharm]

sorry to hear that camille....i hope they recover well and continue to grow for you...

[Weebl]

I water my kingianums the same year round. They go down to low 30s on the coldest nights of the year. My experience shows if they get good light (my are in full sun till noon, shading till dark) they wont produce keikis. So if your lighting is good I would water as normal. If your growths are long and 'leggy' i would go with the every other week watering method.

[Don Perusse]

I agree with Weebl. I water mine year around, I never withhold water for longer than 7-10 days. However, location, location, location! I live in So Georgia and your climatic conditions might dictate differently. Good luck with whatever you decide. We all hope for the best - it's no fun to lose an orchid.

[camille1585]

I always heard that kingianums needed a reduction in watering during the winter. Strange. I asked my sister to leave it outside in the sun until early/mid november or first freeze. Now it's in a slightly coolish room by a window under fluorescents. I like the keikis on it, and they grew even though the plant has been in full sun since april. The growths were nice and compact.

I'll post a pic of the nubbins tomorrow since I'm only assuming it's spikes!

[Becca]

Originally Posted by Weebl

If your growths are long and 'leggy' i would go with the every other week watering method.

What does it mean if your growths are long and 'leggy'?

[Weebl]

It's something I have noticed with my kingianums, and speciosum. The more shade they receive, the longer the canes and the bigger the leaves, the more light the more stout the growth. Here's my only photo of comparison of a plant showing old growth (in heavy shade) versus new growth (in half sun to full sun).

[unhappykat]

Camille i would give the plant a little water now and every ten days or so just to be sure it will have the energy to hold up flowers. Most den Kingianums don't need more than six weeks of dryness to bloom nicely. If you give them more than that you may damage the plant as well as loose the buds. What may be coming from the plant might not be buds but more keikis out of desperation to survive by the plant. I would keep the watering going until your bulbs plump back up, its normal for them to shrivel a little during winter rest but not so much that the plant looks like its dieing.

[camille1585]

Unhappykat, I had asked my sister to water it about every 3 weeks. Instead she forgot about it, and the result was no water in two months. My phals are the ones that went 3 weeks without water!
I too was thinking it may be keikis, but I don't think they would come out the tippy top center of the cane. So I still think spikes. There are a few nubbins at the top on the side, which I know is keikis!
I'll get a pic up soon (going to go do it now!)

I just noticed something right now. There are new canes popping up everywhere (8 so far), so maybe it's definitly time to increase watering!