Basal keikis or canes on Dendrobium nobile?
 

Hi folks,

My Dendrobium has three new growths, and two of them are growing from the sides of older canes, near the bottom. Can anyone tell me if these are keikis? I'm not sure what I should do about them--if they grow roots, I guess I can just let them stay as is? I'm just afraid they won't be very stable. This plant's growth patterns mystify me!

Edited to add pictures of this plant in bloom. The cane is really awkward and bent, but it sure put on a show!

Mine has two of the same things, but they are at the top of the older cane. At first I thought they were new flower buds. Alas, no. No sign of roots on them.

I look forward to other's answers.

i suggest letting them stay. They are a new source of flowers. Just my opinion, but I would rather have one strong, floriferous plant than a bunch of scraggly, weak ones that may not even have the energy to bloom. I don't remove even the keikis farther up on the stem until the plant gets out of control, then the divisions each have multiple growths, which are needed tor the plant to thrive. If they produce roots, it still does no harm to leave them in place. Single growth plants may struggle for years, or not make it at all.

I agree with letting them stay. My Den nobiles all do this and they'll eventually grow roots long enough to reach the media. If it does get unstable, you can always stake them up or tie a few p-bulbs together with twist ties.

When I get keikis high above the media, I let them grow until it has at least an inch or two or roots. At which point, I pot them up.

Thanks--I will definitely let them stay. This plant didn't produce any new canes last year, so I'm happy to see three new growths of any kind. One of these keikis is attached to a cane that is very long and bent; it grew in a weird way and is making the plant top-heavy. I wonder if, once the keiki is well established and the cane is old (maybe next year?) I can cut the cane back a bit. What do you think?

---------- Post added at 09:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:55 AM ----------

Thanks very much. I'll let them grow for sure, and I'm looking forward to seeing some roots! I asked Roberta this, too, but what do you do with the old canes that the keikis are attached to--leave as is or eventually cut them back a bit? One of the canes is really ungainly!

If you have keikis with roots attached to old canes, you can cut the old cane and include at least part in the pot with the keiki. Or, if the cane is still plump and may produce flowers next year, you can just twist off the keiki and leave the cane. Your choice. I grow this in a hanging pot or basket, and let the canes be pendant if that is what they want to do. Then you get an even better display when it blooms.

Thanks--I will give the cane another year and see if it produces any more flowers, and then will eventually cut it back. I wish I had a good place to hang the plant; they look really cool that way. There is a butterfly garden nearby with hanging dendrobium nobiles and they are spectacular!

Edge of shelf works too... or a plant stand, any place where the drooping canes can go below the level of the bottom of the pot.

What I've learn from growing my nobile is:

If it likes your conditions, simply don't care much about it. You may forget it in winter (water it when you remember) and give it plenty of water in summer.

Don't try to do nothing more and you'll be rewarded with a lot of blooms.

Thanks! I agree--that is one of the great things about this plant. It's in a very sunny window that gets pretty cold in the winter, and those seem to be just the right conditions for it. I put it outside last summer and I think the change in the direction of the light source made the newest cane grow really crooked. It is kind of odd-looking but that's OK!