Dendrobium Spectabile - Curled Pseudobulb?

[c123anderson]

Hi again, everyone. I am really loving this board and the help I'm receiving with my "I can't find the answer anywhere else" questions. And I have another one of those questions.

I purchased a dendrobium spectabile from a local greenhouse. They didn't know much about orchids, so I don't think I can go back there for my question. (They happened to get a few in, but it's not their specialty.)

This lovely dend. had been in a hot greenhouse with some bright bright sunlight and still has some sunspots on its leaves. It had a spike with fairly wilted blooms (due to the stress), and it is actually growing 6 new spikes! The size of the pseudobulbs (between 1-2 feet for 3-4 at least) and the number (5-6 pseudobulbs),

The plant looks like it's been harvested from, and one of the psedobulbs looks like it's been curled down and back into the roots. I'm guessing it's a pseudobulb, but it almost looks like it could be bamboo, since I don't see the characteristic skin on it. My question is: why?

And, actually, the bigger question is asking about this plant's history. It really looks like it's an older plant, as it's well developed and seems to have "character" it its growth. Plus, with almost each pseudobulb producing at least 1 spike now, it's certainly mature. I'd just like to know the plant's story.

Any thoughts? Any help?

[fishmom]

Pictures will help.

[c123anderson]

iCloud

This is the bottom of the plant, where you can see it's got four pseudobulbs on the left and one on the right. On the left side behind the psedobulbs is the twisted over or curled item.

iCloud

Here is a shot of almost the entire plant. (Please ignore the messy background).

iCloud

And here is one of the plant (the one on the right; ignore the plant on the left) and you can more clearly see the curled item.

[estación seca]

In the first photo most of the plant is in the way of what I think you're asking about. I can't see it well enough to tell what it is.

In the last photo I see something rounded and green next to the pot, but I can't see it well enough to tell much.

What I do see is a plant that's somewhat dessicated. I would guess it's been grown in bright light, in heat, and not watered enough. Or it could be a back bulb division that hasn't made roots yet.

If the thing I can't see is a new growth that is curling down into the medium, the cause is usually not enough water. To deal with this I would water the plant regularly, and increase the humidity around it as much as possible. Normally Dens make new roots with new growths. Once it starts growing roots it will be able to take up more water. Then it will do much better.

Put it in the brightest light you can short of sunburn. But do keep the humidity up.

[c123anderson]

Thank you for those thoughts. It had been mishandled and was stressed when I got it. The fact that it appears to have 6 spikes (maybe too early to tell but I am not thinking they’re keikis), there’s something going on.

I am hoping to get some better pics tonight. Those were my archive photos, so as helpful as I could at the time.

Thanks for the thoughts. I’ll get a better image or images up within 24 hours (by tomorrow my time isn’t very descriptive for many members).

[c123anderson]

Here is some better images, I hope, of the area I’m referring to.

iCloud

I think I’m curious if this might’ve been a point where the plant was cut earlier. Based on its condition (excluding the sunburns), I’d be curious if there’s obvious signs anyone experienced can see about this orchid’s condition, like potential age, treatment/care, divided?, etc.

I’m also curious as to why the rhizome (?) (where the pseudobulbs meet) looks like the pseudobulbs have branched out like it was growing under something. It’s very heavily leaning to one side, which makes me wonder about past divisions.

This dend. is a stressed plant. I am enthusiastic that the little buds may be spikes, but they may be keikis. It seems odd there would be 6 keikis or spikes (I have counted and watched them growing). If there are 6 spikes, this is not a young plant. A couple of the pseudobulbs have two spikes on them, which also seems unusual, I think, but I’m frankly just guessing. I suspect they’re spikes only because they started forming after a light fertilizer.

As far as these growths or spikes, there appear to be none growing on the pseudobulb where the last spike was. (I found it in a hot, poorly shaded greenhouse that was better suited to succulents. The blooms had mostly withered. There was only the one spike when I bought it.)

I appreciate thoughts on this plant. I’m really finding myself more attached to it every day, and I’m slowly trying to nurse it back to a more healthy plant. I’m also just curious about the grower’s care of it, and that’s where I lack a lot of experience. And, like I said, where I bought it was a greenhouse, but the growers did not specialize or really know much about orchids, so they had it and another situated outside invert bright, direct sun that was only mildly filtered. Plus temps were over 100F around that time in a desert …. It was clearly stressed as was another dend. (not spectabile).

Again, thanks in advance.

[Keysguy]

It looks to me like the new growth is caught on the lip of the outer container?

If it's not then it may have jammed up against the inner wall of its' pot during early development.

If it's the latter, it's not unusual. Spectabile love to be potbound which can lead to what you are experiencing. It will be fine as long as 1) you re-orient the plant in such a way that the ample light can pull the new growth "up" as opposed to "out" 2) maintain a high humidity environment.

If it's the former, get rid of the outside pot.

I get why you have that outside pot. To stabilize the plant on your bench, right? I do the same thing because my plant is in a 6" pot, has probably 20 canes and is close to 3' tall. There's no way it stands upright on its' own.

[estación seca]

Dens curl new growths when they don't get enough water and/or when the humidity is too low. If this began happening at the vendor it probably wasn't watered enough, and the humidity was too low. Or, if it's a recent division, it may not yet have enough roots to provide adequate water.

That curled growth will probably not develop much further, but the plant is strong enough to make more growths.

There are old scars where pieces were cut off. It's common to divide large-growing orchids like this.

Many orchids will make more than one growth at a time when conditions are good. That leads to branching of the rhizome.

[c123anderson]

Thank you, Estación. Your thoughts are actually very reassuring.

In your opinion, is my experience with having this mature plant having one spike when I purchased it then developing six new growths that I believe are spikes typical? My worry is that the plant is stressed, though I'm hoping it's just very happy in its new home and after a little fertilizer.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by c123anderson

Thank you, Estación. Your thoughts are actually very reassuring.

In your opinion, is my experience with having this mature plant having one spike when I purchased it then developing six new growths that I believe are spikes typical? My worry is that the plant is stressed, though I'm hoping it's just very happy in its new home and after a little fertilizer.

I think that you just got an outstanding plant. In not too many years, at that growth rate, YOU will be dividing it too. Just to keep it manageable (but don't rush it, these really want to be huge for best blooming). If those new "growths" are, indeed spikes, you'll have a spectacular display. Enjoy!