What's this new growth?

[tyger_lilli]

My dendrobium has some interesting new green nubs near the base of the newest cane. This is my first den, so everything it does surprises me. I think the bigger one with the white trail is probably a root, but I'm very curious about the little nubs that are almost inside the cane. Are these all new roots?

[Tobi]

The smaller ones are alittle difficult to see, but I'm guessing they are all roots.

[tyger_lilli]

Thanks Toby. It's funny how the new root growth is green and the older growth is white - it doesn't look anything like my phal!

[tyger_lilli]

By the way, what sort of potting medium is that? It looks like the grower planted the orchid in a little tree stump!

[Tobi]

Could be coconut husk chips, but since I don't use that, I'm not sure. Possibly
one of the other members can ID it.

[sandra]

I'd be willing to bet the farm that those are roots TL...a good thing! The root tips on all dends are green and the remaining trail of root, white.

The white thing with the green tip is definitely a root. But when I look closer, on the left I see some green peaking out, and at least one of them may be the beginning of a new cane. Nice growing.

[kmarch]

I'm pretty sure all these are new roots. It's often the case that a small explosion of root growth will precede the start of a growth cycle.

Regarding what it is planted in, I have seen quite a few Dendrobiums, mostly biggibum hybrids, growing in these coir plugs. Several years ago I bought one of these and left it in the coir plug as an experiment. The plant did well for me for quite some time and rebloomed twice for me. It then very quickly expired. Because I only had the one plant I do not know if the plant's decline and demise had anything to do with the coir plug or not. I suspect not as I have a pretty heavy watering hand.

[pikevi]

I think they are , without a doubt, roots.

I do not have much experience but I do have a few dendrobiums and they all have roots which started as little protrusions which turned into roots. One had such 'beads' all around the base ( I will see if I have a picture of it) and it was sooooo beautiful.

[jerrymeola]

They are all roots and if you look closer at your Phal when it starts growing roots again you will see it also has a growing tip. It may look a little more purple than green.

These tips are the only growing area on the root for any orchid.
As they get longer velum (the white look) grows on the root. This will absorb the water and nutrients for the plant. Occasionally a new root can grow out of the side of an old root's velum, but once the growing tip turns white it will not grow in that direction any more.

[exponential]

From your picture, your plant looks to be the same species as mine, same stalks and roots.

That is definitely a root. On mine, anything that grows horizontally is a root and anything that grows vertically (albeit not perfectly vertical) is a new stalk.