Dendrobium Lawesii Growth?

[kmccormic]

Hi Everyone!

I'm new to Dendrobiums. I've been watering this little guy weekly with some superthrive and once every 1-2 weeks with a weak fertilizer. I have some tiny leaves at the base of the plant, which I'm hopeful means more canes. I'm puzzled by what it's doing at the top of one of the canes. Is this a keiki? Will I need to cut it off and pot it at some point? Thanks to all you wonderful people willing to lend your expertise.

Kara


- edited to correct name in title

[Bud]

It looks like a keiki with no roots yet...strange for a while I thought the tip got bent and just continued to grow...but the other angle shows that it is a terminal growth (terminal meaning not like terminal cancer but something growing at the center tip)

you need to give us your grow zone and the environment you are putting the plant ie: eastside window with humidifier fan and heater...etc...what mix media is it in? (charcoal, bark, laba rock etc...)

you need to find out your watering regimen...and fertilizing ...be careful with hormones(superthrive) because it will affect your plant...

[glengary54]

Kara - what you have at the top of your plant is not a keiki, the cane has been deformed by being caught up in the dried sheath that surrounds it. You can gently remove the dark almost black sheath from the cane but the cane will never straighten out. At this point it is more of an asthetic issue. In your picture, I don't see the small leaves that you are talking about at the base of the plant, a close up picture would help. I do agree with Bud on one thing, you need to be careful of over using plant hormones like superthrive, once weekly is way too much and could possibly be responsible for the malformed growth. Just one other thing, your plant is a species and should have a lower case l.

[Arenalbotanicalgarden]

Dendro's are the cactus of the orchid family.

[kmccormic]

Pics are below. The Superthrive may explain it. I don't mind if it keeps growing that way as long as it's healthy. It's in typical bark and white sponge rock mix, in inland Massachusetts, always forget what my zone is. It's in a south-east window indoors. The window has an electric baseboard heater below it. It's about a foot back from the heater and window, with some other plants in front of it. I don't have anything for humidity. I'm looking to re-arrange so I can include a mist-maker in the vicinity, haven't gotten around to it yet. There's a certain matter of available plugs in the way.

Should I be peeling the whole cane? I tried to peel the purple sheath off the bent portion, but it tore the leaf at the end into two remaining pieces on the plant. Pics include what it looked like when I tried that.

Cheers,
Kara

[glengary54]

Kara - First off thanks for the close ups, yes that is new growth that you have coming up. I wouldn't worry about sacrificing a leaf or two to insure that the cane can continue to grow to it's full potential, just be gentle and careful not to snap off the top of the psuedo bulb. Otherwise your plant looks very happy and healthy.