What is going on with my dendrobrium? - Orchid Board

bonmonamie · #1 10-19-2008, 07:01 PM

I got this plant at the beginning of september as a gift and it was healthy. I believe it is a dendrobrium phalaenopsis. After about a month of having it, it lost two leaves so I reduced how much I watered it and its exposure to sunlight. It rebounded and was healthy until recent weeks. Then it lost one flower. Another week went by and it lost all its flowers. The cane and a leaf started shriveling and yellowing. The other leaves are normal.

The roots are white and I just noticed what look like a new growth from the pot at the base of one of plants.
I have been giving it little water (maybe a couple of teaspoons but I never give it a lot of water) and it sits on a shelf that receives indirect sunlight however I do have an air conditioner in the room.

I attached photos. This is my first orchid so I just want to know what is going on with it? When should I expect it to go dormant? How many times a year does it flower?

(photos in a new post below) 10/22/08

camille1585 · #2 10-19-2008, 07:26 PM

Hi Bonmonamie, welcome to OB!
Unfortunatly your photos didn't get posted. If you are having trouble, here's a link that should help you out:
Tips for posting photos
If you still have trouble with pictures, don't hesitate to ask.

Based on you description, it could be normal flower drop, since you have had plant a while. Also, a yellowing leaf is normal, if it is one of the lower ones. Or, on the other hand, it could be a watering problem. That's why photos are so important to figure out what is going on!

quiltergal · #3 10-19-2008, 08:51 PM

A few teaspoons of water is not enough to keep a Phal type Den happy. They like to be watered & fed well regularly and kept warm & bright. A picture would definitely help.

jkhom · #4 10-20-2008, 06:45 AM

I agree with Terri. I water my dens thougherly, then don't water again till almost completely dry. They do like warm and bright indirect light.

RosieC · #5 10-20-2008, 06:56 PM

To me your watering does not sound enough. Also your method could lead to a build up of mineral deposites if you have either hard water or if you are fertilising.

I would advice running water through the pot to get the medium thoroughly wet. Then leaving it on a draining board to make sure it is not standing in water before puting it back in it's usual place. Then leave it until it almost completley dry (for me this is usually one or two weeks) before watering again.

If you have a clear pot you can look to see if there are beads of moisture on the inside of the pot, once these have gone it's time to water again.

The key with many 'chids such as Phals and Dendrobiums is not that you need to water a small amount, but that you need to make sure they are not left standing in water for a long time and that the roots get plenty of air arround them as well. They still need plenty of water... they just don't like standing in it.

The other thing to bear in mind is that if you are fertilising or if your water is hard then mineral deposits can build up (not good

). By flushing water through the pot when you water you flush out any build up. If you only water by adding a small amount each time (as you describe) then you are more likely to get a build up of mineral deposites.

I actually water by imersing the pot in water for about half an hour then draining it for a further half an hour. Once a month I flush through as described above. I don't like to advice this method though as many on this group dislike the imersion method.

bonmonamie · #6 10-22-2008, 11:33 AM

These are the photos I took when I placed to post.Since then I took the one leaf off because it yellowed and shriveled.

unhappykat · #7 10-22-2008, 11:40 AM

You plant looks dehydrated, almost like it has no roots, Have you recently re potted, did you notice any roots?
Your plant may be in need of more water since you do not water it very often but if there are no roots you are going to have a tough time getting it to recover. It really looks like you have been with holding too much water from the plant.

RosieC · #8 10-23-2008, 06:43 PM

I agree, the medium looks far too dry to me. You want it to dry out between waterings but probably not that much.

Also it looks to me like the ceramic pot it is in is the sort that has no holes in it. Is that right? You really need a pot with holes in the bottom so that you can water it by running water through it then letting it drain. It's very difficult to water the correct ammount if there are no holes in the pot, you end up either watering too little as you try to avoid it standing in water, or too much and it does end up standing in water.

Unfortnuately too many chids are sold in pots like this that are not really suitible.

As Unhappykat said though you could have a bigger problem now if the roots have died. I'm no expert on how to try and save them, I've got a Phal myself with hardly any roots and I'm not doing very well at saving it so far. There is a technique called Sphag'n'Bag which can help but I can't find the link just now and if the plant is already too weak the chances are probably quite slim.

RosieC · #9 10-23-2008, 06:48 PM

I should have said that it's probably worth taking out the pot and gently seeing if there are any roots.

If there ARE then you have a much better chance to save it just by re-potting into a better pot and increasing your watering.

bonmonamie · #10 10-26-2008, 11:37 PM

No, I can see the roots and they are healthy looking.

Should I cut off the cane?