Dried out pseudobulbs at base

[Buggalugs]

Hi. My name is Sonja and i live in Durban, South Africa. I have a few orchards however do not have a lot of knowledge. I have had this orchid for a few years now and recently noticed the bulbs drying out at the base. The rest of the plant looks healthy and in flower however even the stems with the flowers are drying out at the base. So much so that one can pull it loose. Can anybody pls help?

[Optimist]

Do you know what kind of orchid it is? I think it may be a cattleya type. If so, since you say only some of the bulbs are drying out, perhaps this is simply older bulbs going through a natural pruning sequence. I have noticed in orchids with many bulbs, that the plant favors the new living growth, and uses up and sacrifices the older food storage bulbs after they are used up. People just cut off old bulbs because they are unsightly, but if the plant grew without human intervention, there would be old dead bulbs in among the others. I am sure their is an expert who can give a better answer than this.

[silken]

I don't know, it almost looks like a Dendrobium from the picture. But a full shot would help. If even the flowering ones are doing it, it is more than just old bulbs dying. Is there something chewing at the roots? The potting media doesn't look that old from the picture but hard to say. I would un-pot it and see what is going on. More pictures would help.

By the way, welcome to Orchid Board!

[Optimist]

True. Knowing what the leaves look like would help.

[Buggalugs]

Thank u for the answers so far. As i am new to this forum i struggled to up load all my pics. Here is the flower. It does not look like something chewed it, its more like it just dried and only at the bottom. Its been in that container for about 3 years. There was also a rock in the container that i took out before the pictures....it is an iron rock, could this off been the cause? It made 3 flower spikes this year and so beautiful, would hate to loose it. How often should i repot?

[Bud]

silken is right, it looks like a Dendrobium Phalaenopsis....some canes are yellow so its dying....I suggest you repot with fresh media mix, clean the roots and spray it with anti bacterial/fungicide.

[silken]

Yes, as Bud said it looks like a Dendrobium. Quite often when something starts to go wrong with what was a healthy plant, the first thing to do is check the roots. Unless there are obvious bugs or bacterial spots on the plant itself. It depends on the potting media it is in, but 1 to 2 years is usually long enough before it begins to break down and hold too much moisture. Then root rot can happen and the plant can suffer. You need 5 posts to load pics in certain ways but I think you can attach them as you did before that. I would un-pot the plant and check the roots and if you need more advice, take pictures of the roots, pot, old media and post it here. People will offer some advice. Have you had it in your care all these 3 years when it has been healthy and blooming? How often do you feed and water? These are some questions people will need to know to help you.

[Buggalugs]

Thank you Silken. Yes its been in my care for the 3 years. I water about twice a week and more when its really hot. Its planted in a bark mixture and its been healthy until now. I must admit I dont feed it too often. I will repot it this wekkend and see what i can find out. Thanks for all the advice.

[silken]

Well, not feeding too often wouldn't make it turn yellow quickly. But over time if it is busy blooming and growing if it turned yellow gradually it could be a nutrient deficiency. But I would look at the roots. I know S. Africa can be dry and hot but maybe it is getting watered too often. Is it dry or close to it right thru the pot when you are watering every few days?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

These are semi-deciduous.

They naturally have a dormancy period during the winter.

It is mid to late fall over there in South Africa.

What "Buggalugs" might have is a hybrid containing the species Den phalaenopsis, unless it is positively dentified as being the actual species.

Den phalaenopsis the species grows as a lithophyte in Australia. I believe the rock would be some sort of granite.