Spike rooting?

[Lucinda Brown]

I have an older denrobium that is presently spiked and at the end of blooming. The bottom of the spike where it came off the cane is sending out air-roots! No keikis. It is a 3 cane plant with one newer healthy growth and 2 older canes that have previously and presently bloomed. I've never seen this before. Anybody know what it means? I've had a denrobium send out keikis that rooted off older canes,with that one it was because of overwatering. What this means I haven't a clue. Help!

[jerrymeola]

You will probably see a keiki emerge later from this node. The other possibility is that a keiki formed and dried up and shriveled at a very small size and the roots continued growing.

It is possible to root cane cuttings. An older technique to propagate Dens was to make 2 inch cuttings and grow them on a bed of gravel. I was popular in the orient at one time, but has given way to seeds. So this type of growth can be your roots.

Give it time and re-pot it whenever you think it will live on its own.

[Lucinda Brown]

Thank you Jerry, I presently have 2 baby deny's from other plants that keikied and I potted up when the roots and keikies looked ready. They're doing well. I appreciate your advice, I'll watch this one and see what happens.

[jerrymeola]

Keikis like human babies do whatever they want.

I went looking in the greenhouse with you post in mind and found roots with no leaves and 6 inch Keikis with no roots (they often develop later). Babies do whatever they want.