Dendrobium Help/Advice Needed

[Elephant Lover]

I have a dendrobium that I purchased off a clearance table that I need some advice on.

When I bought it all the leaves were off of it and it was just two canes. I was not sure if it would live but six months later it is showing signs of trying to come back. It still has no leaves but you can see green through the brown exterior skin(?) on the canes. One of the canes has new growth at the top. It looks like it is sending out roots at the top. I will try and insert a picture at the bottom of this posting.

Question...should I just let it do it's thing with the roots at the top, or should I cut off the top and try and start a new plant?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[janet_a]

congrats! hand out cigars--you're a grandparent. that's a keiki (hawai'ian for "baby"), a type of asexual reproduction. it's a clone of the parent. you can leave it on there as long as you like; the general wisdom is to not try and snap it off and pot it up until the keiki has at least four inches (collectively) of roots.

as for the rest of the plant, don't give up til it totally shrivels and dies. dens have been known to bloom off leafless canes.

[jerrymeola]

dendrobium keikis do not have to be removed from the plant. You can let the baby grow and flower still attached to the parent. 3-4 inches of root is about minimum for decent prospects of removal from the parent.

The canes are certainly healty enough to send out new canes from the base. Feed and water normally.