SPIKE!!

[johnblagg]

good growing I have a den keiki that I was playing with trying to grow it suspended on a wire ...during the super hot spell and our major dry spell even with daily dunking it started losing leaves on one lead so i decided to go to hydrotron with it. After just one week it has put out a new lead....I find they love the hydrotron even when it is simply as medium and not s/h

[Leisurely]

Beautiful flowers and growing so nice and erect too.

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by Leisurely

Beautiful flowers and growing so nice and erect too.

I agree! The upright growth and lovely blooms indicate that it's receiving proper lighting and cultural requirements. Good job!

[Call_Me_Bob]

They like to have a fast wet to dry cycle. I water mine everyday, because it is potted in mainly lava rock. With some bark. After it's done blooming it will need a repot. But I'm scared about that. I've heard you could get a bigger pot and put the old pot into it, and put more media around the old pot. I'm not so sure aboutthat yet. Bu I found it on sbo's site

[Leisurely]

You should not re-pot your plant until it quits blooming, starts a new growth and produces a root collar on the new growth that is about one inch long. This type of dendrobium likes to be root bound so I would inspect the medium closely to determine if it has broken down. If it appears to be in good condition it would be best left alone.

[Call_Me_Bob]

i wasn't going to repot until after its done blooming. its newest growth started in april, but thats the same growth that has this new spike. the media looks good, but the plant is growing out of the pot. the newest cane is more than half way out of the pot.

[Leisurely]

If your plant is growing in an in-organic mix, you could just pot it up using a larger pot without disturbing the root ball. If it is in an organic mix that is in good condition I would leave it alone until spring. If growing over the edge bothers you, you could sit it in a larger clay pot for stability and if the roots become too over-grown add a little sphagnum between the two pot walls in which the the new roots can grow.

[Call_Me_Bob]

it is in lava rock, and a tiny bit of fine fir bark. there really isnt very much medium though. i think it might be fine medium wise unil spring, but i dont know about the cane growing out of the pot. but i guess its ok. as you can see in the pictures, its up against the column, and the new growth just so happens to be facing the column and im worried about it getting smushed. but i can just turn it around, if its advisable

[Call_Me_Bob]

okay guys, just an update the flowers lasted until about spetmeber, when the last one finally faded.

since then its started putting out another can AND another spike! WOOHOOO

[jrodpad]

Man alive! That's a lot of flowers - when you look at the ratio of plant to flowers. And what a color!

Stunning. Really nice work. Good growing.

- J