Quote:
Originally Posted by ohanahana
steve--why do you leave the old canes on instead of cutting them off--is it to grow keikis? why can't the keikis stay on the old canes and just grow into a really massive plant? a specimen plant would be my thing!! your orchid photos are beautiful by the way
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I leave the old canes because they provide energy for the plant. Old canes are like fat on a grizzly bear (or any other animal that hibernates) in that it keeps the plant going during the dormancy period and provides energy for new growth. Remember, keikis grow naturally on a plant that hangs down over tree trunks and branches. They attach to the tree and branches and form new plants (actually, clones of the parent). When we grow them in captivity, we can't recreate this scenario, so if you let the keikis grow, your parent plant will probably become an unwieldy tangle of canes and roots pretty quickly!!
FYI, This is just my personal preference and cutting off old canes to create new keikis is very common practice for these types of Dends. Mel (Hawaiian Sunshine) is a very accomplished grower
and please don't think that I am trying to take anything away from what he has said previously! I'm just offering another perspective on what to do with keikis! Good luck and do be sure to post pics!!