help me save this dendrobium nobile - Page 2 - Orchid Board

NYCorchidman · #11 02-07-2013, 10:58 AM

Hello, Djuna in Finland!

Being a big time nobile dendrobium lover, I would like to chime in although others have already put in some good advice.

Your nobile is simply suffering from severe dehydration from its previous owner's neglect. You did mention that there are some frim live roots left, which is a great news.

First, I do not think the pot is too big at all and as Cheryl mentioned, these plants do not like to be disturbed, so do not repot unless they outgrow and you absolutely have to repot. I grow mine in big pots for years without repotting.
The overpotting can be a problem because the mix can stay wet too long but that's when the mix is not the right type.

Second, many people wrongly understand the "dry" rest. Dry rest doesn't mean no water for winter. In the wild, these plants get tons of water during the summer growth season and then during the "dry" season when they go dormant, they don't receive tropical rain sort of water, but do get lots of water in the form of heavy fog and early morning dews every single day! so relatively "drier" than summer time but never really "dry".

When you keep your nobile nearly around 0 Celcius during winter, then these should be kept quite dry to prevent possible damage to the plants.

Visit yamamoto dendrobium website for more detailed info, that's what I follow and I have lots of fun with these amazing plants.

Now, what I would do if I had that plant you got in the picture:
Give your plant good soak and drain completely.
Site the plant in the direct sun (highest possible light is required in the winter)
Once the mix dries up quite a bit (but not bone dry), just heavily mist enough to get those live roots hydrated.

If you are growing this in very cold environment, like unheated valcony, then make sure you water in the morning of sunny day only.

If all goes well, come spring, which is near, you should see some green shoots sprout at the bast of the current canes (stems).
Keep up with watering and lots of fertilizer while it is growing along with maximum light just short of burnin. I grow mine in the direct sun and they love it! In Finland, you should be fine with direct sun, but if you see some sun burn spots, then reduce the light accordingly. but strongest possible light brings the best of growth and flowering.

---------- Post added at 09:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:53 AM ----------

Oh, I forgot a few things!

If you find your mix too old, then make sure you use quite coarse mix when you put this plant back to the pot. They need lots of water, but also need great drainage. During the summer time, staying moist doesn't seem to harm them, but during the rest, not so true.

I cound't tell if there was any browning canes in the pictures, but if you feel soft browning is spreading and worries you, then trim it off.
Sometimes, old canes do that, that's how they die. (unless it really is some kind of rot)

Wish your plant the best!

quiltergal · #12 02-07-2013, 11:42 AM

I agree about putting it in a larger pot when you do repot. I used to look for a pot that would accommodate at least two years of growth. Large media and good drainage are very important if you choose a larger pot.

My "dry" winter rest consisted of watering lightly once a month. I took the plant out to my quilting studio in the winter and put it in a west facing window that gets full sun much of the afternoon. The heat in the studio is only on when I'm out there working. So it gets very cool out there....say in the 40s. How often you water depends on what media you are using. I use CHC mixed with charcoal and perlite. CHC retains water much longer than bark, so I was able to water less in the winter than if it been in bark.

Orchid126 · #13 02-07-2013, 05:40 PM

NYCorchidman is spot on. Dendrobiums like tight shoes, and grow and bloom best in very small pots compared to the top growth. If they look top heavy then they're potted right.

Nobiles in the wild are subject to monsoons, that is wet and warm for half the year and cold and dry for the other half of the year (though they get a lot of humidity during the dry months). They don't start growing until perhaps March or April in this part of the world, when winter is over.

Some lose all their leaves annually, some lose their leaves every other year. But the bare canes keep the plant alive and can bloom again.

djuna · #14 02-08-2013, 07:26 PM

thank you for the additional help and advice. based on all the information i have received so far, it seems that the pot size for the orchid i have here would have been alright, had the potting mix been of coarser quality. as it happens, it retained quite a bit of moisture and for the size of the pot in combination with the previous owner's watering habits, contributed to the rot which i am increasingly convinced now is the reason for why the canes began to shrivel in june.

since the previous day, i have not moved or bothered the orchid which sits in its original plastic pot with little more than several pieces of bark that its roots will not let go of. i have also placed it sitting on a south-facing window, atop pebbles in a saucer of water for moisture since i have not had any luck finding sphagnum moss. tomorrow morning i will give the plant a good soak and drain, use coarser media for repotting and proceed from there.

as for the new canes which i removed from the plant, the morning after i put them into a plastic container (sphag & bag), there was a bit of hairy white mold growing on them. i've removed and cleansed all that off and am keeping the cup open this time, misting when necessary.

the yamamoto website contained just the kind of detailed information that answers a lot of very particular questions that came to my mind about caring for this dendrobium but for which i've not found ready answers. thank you for pointing it out.

the town where i live has not seen full sun in a long while. i am really hoping that a few days of sunshine will help this plant wake up soon and start telling me what it wants. =)

nenella · #15 02-08-2013, 07:53 PM

Good Luck! you have had some good advice, keep us posted!

NYCorchidman · #16 02-09-2013, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djuna

thank you for the additional help and advice. based on all the information i have received so far, it seems that the pot size for the orchid i have here would have been alright, had the potting mix been of coarser quality. as it happens, it retained quite a bit of moisture and for the size of the pot in combination with the previous owner's watering habits, contributed to the rot which i am increasingly convinced now is the reason for why the canes began to shrivel in june.

since the previous day, i have not moved or bothered the orchid which sits in its original plastic pot with little more than several pieces of bark that its roots will not let go of. i have also placed it sitting on a south-facing window, atop pebbles in a saucer of water for moisture since i have not had any luck finding sphagnum moss. tomorrow morning i will give the plant a good soak and drain, use coarser media for repotting and proceed from there.

as for the new canes which i removed from the plant, the morning after i put them into a plastic container (sphag & bag), there was a bit of hairy white mold growing on them. i've removed and cleansed all that off and am keeping the cup open this time, misting when necessary.

the yamamoto website contained just the kind of detailed information that answers a lot of very particular questions that came to my mind about caring for this dendrobium but for which i've not found ready answers. thank you for pointing it out.

the town where i live has not seen full sun in a long while. i am really hoping that a few days of sunshine will help this plant wake up soon and start telling me what it wants. =)

You're welcome!

Your dendrobium will "wake up" when spring comes naturally. A bit earlier if grown warm indoor as mine are getting ready to sprout some new shoots at the same time blooming.

djuna · #17 02-09-2013, 01:32 PM

once again, thank you for all the advice and well wishes! i will definitely come back and post my results.

waiting for the sun,
djuna

djuna · #18 03-16-2013, 05:56 AM

hello again, it has been many weeks since i began this post and the sun has shone very brightly on this ailing dendrobium sitting on a south-facing windowsill. two weeks after the last posting here, i did manage to move the plant onto a bed of moss which i kept moist each morning. the rootball had all this time been wrapped in about a centimeter of moss all around.

developments. as of today, the two canes do not appear to show any clear signs of fading, the only difference being that the topmost portions are darker olive in colour now. there are no new shoots but i count five new roots coming out of the rootball from which i previously had removed a great amount of the dead roots. these new arrivals are at most only a few millimeters in length.

albeit very excited, i am still hesitant to pot this plant in the bark mix in fear of damaging the new roots. ideas would be appreciated!

also, should i give these new roots some fertilizer to encourage growth? one with 4-2-3 ratio is what i have at home.

mattryan · #19 03-16-2013, 11:58 AM

Congrats on the new growth!! Me personally I would gently remove the moss and put into bark. But if you are really worried about the new growth being stunted you could put the whole thing into a pot with the moss and put bark on top and around it. You're going to have to remember when you water that the moss is in your pot and water accordingly. As the moss will retain water more than a straight bark mixure. Just make sure that your den isn't wiggling around in the pot as that will break off the root tips, put a stake for support. Dens are pretty forgiving and you sound as though you've done a great job. Goodluck!

Cheryl

NYCorchidman · #20 03-16-2013, 11:34 PM

I like Cheryl's idea.
Make sure you do not damage those new roots.

The growth of new roots are a good sign.
I find that my nobiles start root activity before any new shoots start to develop.
Check the base of the canes very closely. Do you not see any small green swelling somewhere??

Oh, also, make sure you do not use large bark chunks as they dry out too fast. unless you plan to water very diligently.