What to do with this Dendrobium?

[snowballsarebad]

Hi all. I really hate to ask this with all the questions floating around about dendrobiums already, but I've been wondering for a while.
I've had this NOID Den for about a year and a half now; when i first got it, it only had the leafless canes that you can see on the right. It's been growing really well, especially that nice, thick cane on the left. From the pot, it is about 9 inches tall (with pot, about 13).
I have no idea what kind of Dendrobium it is. I was going to stop fertilizing it, and water it only rarely for the winter, but it just started putting out ANOTHER new growth (1+ week ago). See the second pic. So now I feel compelled to keep watering and fertilizing it to help that new growth along.
Does anybody have any suggestions, or does this look like any type of Dendrobium to anybody? Should I keep up with the watering and fert? I would really like to get it to flower, at least then I'll have a better idea of what it is.
Oh, and some of the leaves look a little funny because it got sunburned in August. No major harm done though, not worried about that.

[snowballsarebad]

Oh, and I'm not sure if it matters or not, but i had stopped fertilizing before that new little growth came along.

[Tobi]

It appears to be a Phalaenopsis type Dendrobium which doesn't need the
winter rest like a nobile type. You can get new growth at any time of the
year with these although they usually produce the new growth in the spring.
I just cut back on my watering to every 10-14 days in the late fall through
the winter as well as fertilizing every 4-5 weeks during that peroid. I have
had this type in bloom just about any time of the year and some have
bloomed 2-3 times a year for me.

[snowballsarebad]

Great! Is there any way you can tell that it is a phal-type? I know how to tell Latourea Dendrobiums from other types based on their canes, but I'm not so sure with telling other Dendrobium types apart.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Nobiles have floppy leaves, and Phal types have stiff leathery leaves. Of course there are about a 1000 different Den species, but they are rarely sold at common stores, mostly just the Warm Phal types and less often the nobile types, named after the species dendrobium nobile. If yours is growing, water it well. I don't let growing or blooming Dens of either type go very dry before watering. There is a constant refrain in Baker's book on Dendrobiums, "wet while growing".

[E-Jag]

Snowballsarebad, I'm glad you asked this question because I was about to. Suddenly my phal type dend are putting out lots of new growth. I know we're supposed to water during the growth period, but supposed to cut back around November, even with phal types (though not as much). When both occur at the same time (new growth but time to dial back) it puts the inexperienced, like me, in a sort of mexican standoff with myself. I'll just water once a week instead of every couple of days. I bought a den in full bloom (20 of them!) at the Largo orchid show a couple of weeks back and it hasn't lost any so I guess it won't get any rest at all this year. Thanks for the input.

________________
E-Jag

[snowballsarebad]

E-jag, I'm glad I'm not the only one who was still a little confused about dendrobiums Thanks to tobi and cynthia for clearing it up!

[11Orchid126]

You can also tell from the stubs of the old bloom spikes. If the old spike stubs are at the tip of the cane, it's a den phal (or one of the many other types of dendrobiums). If the old bloom spike stubs are up and down the cane, chances are it's a nobile type.

[snowballsarebad]

That is true! I would've used that info to figure out what mine was, but it appears my plant has never bloomed before. No signs of past spikes or bloom stubs or anything.

[jerrymeola]

E-Jag

I am disappointed that you did not introduce yourself at the Largo Show. I was booth number three. Maybe you can make the Sarasota show Jan 4-5-6.

My dens are getting 2-5 inches of rain a week so I am sure they do not qualify for being cut back on watering.

You may have seen this Den I had at the show. It got more water this year then ever. It had only 1 flower on 1 stem last year.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Snowball, I notice that your canes are getting progressively taller. Looks to me like it is just a matter of time before the plant reaches a more mature size, and then I expect you will have some flowers. I have a noidy Den I got on a raffle table when that was about all that was fit left. I kept it out of curiosity, and it has been several years like yours, and has gotten bigger and bigger growths each year. Just need to be patient. Have a friend with a Phal type Den that has never stopped blooming in 2 years, so she keeps watering. We call it Super Den.

I have my problem bigibbum that regressed to tiny peas sized bulbs over a couple of years that I severely dried off last year. Pea bulbs shriveled to non-existence, and this summer put out a modest but respectable growth. Been watching for time to severely dry it again, and actually decided it was time and set it aside to be watered only occasionally, when a week later it started a new growth. ?*?%?$?#@ I am watering it again, and hoping the plant will mature this growth really fast for a late winter rest.

[E-Jag]

Jerry, my apologies. I somehow didn't find you - obviously - but looked. I went to the show with a friend and remarked to him as we were leaving that I was surprised you weren't there. So far, that was the best show I've been to. I told my wife she got lucky, if I'd stayed any longer I would have broken out the plastic and gone home with more orchids than Pelican Coast Farms! As it was, I nearly bought a Vanda that was absolutely gorgeous. Everyone was telling me how well they grow around here, but I'm not convinced. You and I spoke of this when we last met. Anyway, see you at the next one for sure!

______________
E-Jag