Really Silly question ...

[Orchid_gal]

Hello , I would like to thank everyone in advance and hope you can please be nice when answering my silly question

I got into orchids at the end of last year , I have quite a few varietys ect (In total about 16 plants).. Because I am so new I don't know whats going on with one of my plants ( Dendrobium Red Emperor 'Prince') . I THINK they are keiki growing off of it but I don't know. I also need to know what to do from here on in .


I have attached 2 pictures . The first one is the plant before hand and the second is the plant now .

Also the picture of when it was in bloom was the night I got it off someone so I know it looks a little welty ect that wasn't me

Thanks a bunch and please remember to be nice.

[Daethen]

They look like roots to me. I am not an expert on dens, but I would think that you could possible even lay it into some medium and it may produce lots of keikis. I'm sure someone will be along that knows more than me.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

First:

Den Red Emperor 'Prince' is a Dendrobium hybrid that is in the section Dendrobium, which include the species Dendrobium nobile. In the hobby, these are often referred to as "Den nobile type hybrids".

Those are most definitely roots coming out of the nodes of the cane. The nodes may produce keikis with leaves shortly thereafter.

I think the strong production of roots along the cane and possibly even future keikis, may have something to do with the fact that the pot may be too large, and that it was grown in full moss, which in turn may have rotted many of the roots out, idk.

Dendrobiums in the section Dendrobium have winter rest periods.

In nature these kinds of Dendrobiums usually grow on trees that are usually barren of moss or are covered in lichens instead of moss.

[beanluc]

They're not keikis *yet*. Just roots so far.

What do the roots which are inside the pot look like? If something has killed those ones, that could be why the cane is sprouting all these new ones up in the air. It could also explain why all the leaves dropped off. That's not so good.

Looks to me like you won't get anything more out of this Den until it DOES pop some keikis. That's the only way it's going to make any new leaves, and it has to make new leaves before it can make new flowers.

My advice: Whatever is inside the pot, clean it off and re-pot the cane in something VERY loose and airy. Firbark comes to mind. Then, begin watering the whole plant very very well every several days. By "water well" what I mean is, water ALL of it including the aerial roots, and let the plant really soak up the water for half an hour or so. You could actually submerge it. And by "every several days" I mean let the whole thing *really* dry out between waterings.

What this will do is begin hydrating the plant again (it really appears dehydrated, what with the wrinkled canes, the leaf drop and the desperate flinging of roots) but at the same time it will avoid a rot condition inside of the pot (because you let it completely dry between waterings).

Also don't forget to give it at least some amount of food.

After a good while of this, many months probably, I'll bet this one could recover and make you happy again.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Beanluc, these guys naturally go fully deciduous.

[Orchid_gal]

Hello, Thank you all for your responces .
I will respond more once I get home ( I am just running out the door )
Thoughs pictures are from the beginning or last week . The "roots" now look like the picture I have posted. Would that be considered a Kieki? all 3 have the same center part which I think will be leaves?

Also I know its a hybrid I just wanted to post what I was told it was incase that had any part of what was going on .

Also none or the roots are rotted as I have checked on them.. So what else could be causing it?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The pic you posted last is of that of a keiki.

Unless you pull the entire plant out of the pot and check, you cannot tell if the roots are fine.

Healthy living roots will resemble the ones that are growing along the cane (w/o the green pigmentation on the root tips, because the roots in the pot haven't been exposed to the light - yes, epiphytical orchids have roots that can photosynthesize).

Another factor could be temperature.