I have a dendrobium that I thought was hopelessly dead. However, I
didn't want to throw it into a compost just yet. It was left hanging by
the wire and eventually at the end of the stem came out a new shoot. All
the roots were dead. That new shoot now turned into two buds, but it has
no leaf and no root. I don't know if this is how the plant grows, i.e.,
bloom first then grow leaves or it's just trying to make babies and die.

Don Quixote schreef:
I have a dendrobium that I thought was hopelessly dead. However, I
didn't want to throw it into a compost just yet. It was left hanging by
the wire and eventually at the end of the stem came out a new shoot. All
the roots were dead. That new shoot now turned into two buds, but it has
no leaf and no root. I don't know if this is how the plant grows, i.e.,
bloom first then grow leaves or it's just trying to make babies and die.

It might very well be the way the plant grows. Many dendrobiums with
cane-like stems need a very dry period to induce flowering. You
definitly succeeded in that! Even that all the roots are dead doesn't
have to be a problem. Important is that the base of the cane is firm.

If it is one of the dendrobiums I am thinking of, the cane won't make
new leaves, but it will start making a new growth from a dormant eye at
the base of the stem. You might dust it once a week in the mean time but
don't water to much! (This is even more important when your plant is
growing in a pot) When the new growth is developping its first leaves
you can give it abundant water again to ensure a strong growth.

So don't throw it away yet!

grtz. Niek