Help with sarcochilus hartmanii alba and dendrobium kingianum keikis

[qbie]

I’ve only grown phals so am a newbie to these orchids types. Got them this weekend at a driveway giveaway.

Parents in poor condition so I repotted them but in the process a dendrobium keiki broke off. Honestly not sure where the sarco keiki was attached. A root?? I was squeezing the sides of the parent pot to loosen it and saw a tiny leaf poking out down along the side of the pot nowhere near the parent or other plantlets on top. When I finally got the parent out, poor thing was just lying there by itself.

They’re so tiny (about the size of a penny) I assume chances of survival are very slim, but can’t bring myself to throw them out. I’ve put them on sphagnum (my first time ever using this) in shot glasses Should I leave them open to air or cover with Saran Wrap and poke holes in it to try to create a mini greenhouse? Is sphagnum even ok to use for now? Ive read sarco is a lithophyte and the dendrobium can be as well but wasn’t sure to use bark/rocks yet given their size. Will keep them out of direct sun. I keep reading that orchids try to survive and would like to give these keikis their best chance esp since the parents arent too healthy and im just learning how to care for these orchid types I’m sure I’ll make mistakes along the way I could end up sending everything to the grave. Tyvm for ur help!

[Roberta]

The Dendrobium has a chance... a pseudobulb, leaves, and roots. The bit of Sarcochilus looks like a broken off root. That will certainly not survive.

[qbie]

Thx, will see how the dendro does. Also promising a couple roots in contact with the sphagnum are now green.

This might be a better pic of the sarco. I think there’s a leaf. But agree it’s hardly developed and separated from the parent it prolly has very close to zero chance for survival. But what the heck will still keep it til it truly looks RIP

[Roberta]

Don't worry about temperature or humidity for either one if you're in zone 10a. (California?) Sphagnum is fine for the rescue operation. Longer term, the Dendrobium will eventually move to bark. But at this point, the even moisture that it's getting from the sphag should be fine. If that bit from the Sarcochilus pot was away from the main plant, might even be a weed or fern. Sarcochilus can make multiple growths - with roots - not really keikis. Where Dendrobiums like that (probably Den kingianum or hybrid thereof) can keiki like crazy. and they are truly independent little plants. Both parent plants (in fresh medium) are fine outdoors in your temperature zone if I'm guessing your location correctly (unlike Phals that need to be warmer)

[qbie]

Yes I’m in CA but near San Francisco on the peninsula. I’m keeping the parents outdoors as that’s where I believe they’ve been growing but will need to devise some sort of shelter during winter from the rains so they don’t get overwatered and end up with crown rot.

I see about the sarco. Ur right I did research about how the plantlets form around the base of the parent. May just see what weed or fern it is if it survives haha.

Ty for ur input!

[Roberta]

I wouldn't worry much about the Dendrobium... crown rot isn't an issue... the "crown" is characteristic of monopodial orchids such as Phals (single growth point). Dendrobiums grow along a rhizome, don't have a little "pocket" that would hold water. The Sarcochilus you probably would want to protect from the cold rain. But it doesn't need to be robust, just under the eaves (or stairs or any other cover). Both types are very cold-tolerant. I'm in southern California, near the coast, my Australian Dendrobiums, and Sarcochilus, live outside with no shelter at all. They do get rained on. Last winter, rained on a LOT.

[qbie]

Thx. How do you manage to keep your unsheltered sarcochilus from getting crown rot? Does coastal wind help blow the water out? We did get a ton of rain last winter.

I also got a coelogyne this weekend tho I don’t know what kind. It grows pseudobulbs like the dendrobium so not needing shelter from rain either? Thx!

[Roberta]

I have never had a particular crown rot problem with the Sarcochilus. And if I do lose a crown (happens occasionally and randomly) they produce plenty of basal growths. Also, they don't particularly grow strictly vertically. So any accumulated water drains. I haven't had any problem with crown rot on any of my cool-growing Vandaceous species that grow outside either.

(For that matter, it works with Phals too - those I grow in my greenhouse, so they get warmth, but they also get overhead watering. Water just drains. In nature, they tend to grow sideways or upside down. Mother nature is clever )

[qbie]

I see. I’ll still keep the sarc sheltered in winter tho. It’s small. Prolly shouldn’t risk losing any part of it if I can. Thx for ur advice!