Is this a keiki?

[Nush]

Hi, I'm not an experienced orchid grower and was wondering if anyone can help me.

My Dendrobium Phal is growing a few canes - 4 in all. One of the canes is growing sideways from an old cane , which had been previously cut (see pic). I know I shouldn't cut canes but this was a mistake when I first got the orchid - I thought there was a fungus issue.

I thought it might be a keiki, which I understand is bad for the mother plant. But looking at internet pics of keikis, they seem to have a lot of roots and the one on my plant doesn't have roots. Is it a keiki? If it is what should I do?

Background: I live in Singapore and the climate is humid but windy on the balcony. The orchid receives a lot of natural light and is potted in charcoal.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Roberta]

First, keikis aren't particularly bad. It is just another way for a plant to reproduce itself. Some Dendrobiums produce them freely (share with friends) , I usually leave for a better display because even with roots, they stay with the plant and bloom. This just looks like a new growth in response to the cut. It is part of the plant, an extension of the cut cane. Like a tree making a branch when you prune it.

[Nush]

Ah thank you Roberta. I read on the internet that cut canes don’t produce new shoots. Obviously that was wrong. It’s good to know everything is alright with the orchid, I’ve grown quite attached to it.

Just wondering, if I wanted to propagate the orchid, could I cut the cane and plant it with the new growth.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Nush

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Just wondering, if I wanted to propagate the orchid, could I cut the cane and plant it with the new growth.

No. When the plant gets MUCH bigger it can be divided, since there will be multiple canes with root systems. Most orchids don't propagate from cuttings. It's all about roots... no roots, usually no plant. Many Dendrobiums can and do produce new growth from "nodes" on the stems (flowers too) . Sometimes they look very dead and produce flowers. I don't cut anything until it desiccated, thin and light brown and crispy because one can't tall by looking what is alive and what isn't.

Dendrobium is a huge genus, from many habitats. There are groups (sections) that attempt to group together similar types but only successful to a point. So any generalization about Dendrobiums is likely to be wrong some of the time. You need to get down to the species level (or know what species are in a hybrid) to increase chances of getting it right.

[Nush]

Thank you Roberta. This is very helpful. I’m not ready to divide the plant but might do so at some point. There’s still space in the pot for it to grow and like you say, it needs to be much bigger. So I’ll leave things as they are currently, given the plant is doing well.

Thanks again for your help😊