will the old cane bloom again?

The kekei will be the beginning of a new plant. Eventually the new plant will bloom. The old cane will provide nutrients to the baby.

The old cane blooming again depends on: What type of dendrobium it is and how old is the cane.

It is a Dendrobium phal. Bought it in Hawaii. The plant itself is about 23 years old but this cane is two or three years old. I only have two canes. It was planted in spag, in a clay pot with lots of holes. It wasn't looking very good so I repotted in an orchid mix, then the leaves started to look weird, so I just now repotted into bark, in a clay pot. The weird looking leaves turned in to a keiki. I noticed a sprout coming up (new cane?) when I repotted.. I hope I haven't killed it.
I plan on potting up the keiki in september, does that sound ok?

Skippy, I would suggest you not continue bouncing the plant from one pot/potting mix to another. Every time you move the plant into a new pot/mix, you shock the plant and it takes a while to recover. Sounds like your plant has over the years dwindled from something, down to 2 canes with a new shoot emerging. If that new shoot puts out new roots, and you damage them in the slightest during one of your repottings, they will stop growing and the new cane will have to restart the root forming process all over again....a setback.....Roots that are about 3 or more inches in length will usually branch if damagd a bit, but newly emerging ones won't.

Now for the Keiki.......There is no real compelling reason to take the keiki off the mother plant other than it makes the plant a bit unwieldy after a while. I have seen blooming keikis on blooming keikis on blooming plants.....You usually see this on certain species Phals., but Dendrobiums are highly prone to doing this too.

When the keiki has at least one mature cane (no longer putting out new leaves) with a nice set of roots, you can just pop it off, or cut it off the mother cane and pot it up in a pot by itself. I have been known to wait until I see the second cane starting at the base of the first one and then take the Keiki off. That way I am potting up a nice set of roots, and by the time the new cane starts roots the plant is settled into the new pot/mix, and is stable so as not to damage the new roots when they start. (use rhizome clips if necessary)

When you repot, use a mix/or bark that you would use to pot a Cattleya, or mature Phal. Wet the bark good and do not water after potting for at least a week or more. This gives the roots time to dry, and heal any bruised or broken places before you begin to water again. I also find making a plant a bit thirsty encourages new root growth.

That's my take on the situation......Have fun.

Bill

Bill, I know I shouldn't have repotted so much. It was planted in spag and every thing I've read and heard, including this forum, said that spag was bad and would rot the roots so I thought I should repot but I made the mistake of buying an orchid mix that had very little bark and that's when things started to go down hill, plus I overwatered. I do want to take the keiki off because the cane is so long I know it will fall over. I have the original plant in a 4.5 pot, placed within a larger pot. Thanks to all for your help.

P.S.......
I will leave it alone till spring.
Kathy aka skippy (that's my dog's name).