New to Dendrobium. Roots dead?

[lauraeli]

I got this Dendro maybe a month ago. It has put out a lot of new growth so I assumed i was doing ok caring for it. The only thing that made me nervous is the roots- they havent changed since I got them but I decided to really take a look at them today. After feeling them I believe they are all dead. They are whitish brown, papery, and feel hollow. From what i can tell, all but the new growth roots are dead.

It is growing on a dead stump stuck into a plastic pot. I believe it will regrow ok because the old growth is putting itself into the new growth. Almost all of the new growth has happened since I got it. But since the roots do seem to be dead, I feel I have an opportunity to repot and change the growing medium if necessary. What would you do with it?

[lauraeli]

Pictures

[IcePenguin]

I think it looks pretty healthy. If you're not comfortable with your den being mounted, you can always pot it up. But it looks like the roots are adhered pretty well onto the mount. If repotting is what you want, you might try letting it soak a few hours and see if you can gently pry the roots away from the mount. You could also repot as is. The only problem with that is eventually the mount will deteriorate and decompose leading to the possibility of problems.You can also leave it alone but know that being mounted you'll have to water more often as mounted plants will dry out quicker. Depending on your culture you could be watering daily.

[SoCalOrchidGirl]

Wow your dendrobium looks very healthy. I am thinking about getting one. Do they need any special requirements?

[nutgirl]

Now would be a good time to repot. I would remove as much of the 'stump' as possible. It will only cause trouble. You can save the dead roots of you want, they make it easier to anchor into the new potting mix.

Repot in a pot only as large as the base of the plant with it's new growth needs.

Be sure to anchor the plant in the pot. Not just bamboo sticks. Use wire or anything else that will not stay wet. The new roots will not establish themselves if the plant is moving around.

Looks like a nice healthy plant!

Maureen

[kindrag23]

Oh coconut mounts I had a Den/? Hybrid come in that I hated it.
My den nobile type older canes roots no longer are viable but are good anchors. To my mount I have it on. You are doing good the new roots are feeding the new growths. Mine currently has 2 1 inch growths and about 8 small ones with 20 or so new roots coming in and out ha. Nice plant. Good growing

---------- Post added at 10:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:00 AM ----------

Oh and the older canes are also supplying energy as well.

[RandomGemini]

Originally Posted by SoCalOrchidGirl

Wow your dendrobium looks very healthy. I am thinking about getting one. Do they need any special requirements?

Depends. Some can be grown with phalaenopsis culture. Most need a lot more light than your average phalaenopsis and also have a winter rest period... And one that I can think of, is one of the more difficult species to grow. It just depends on what you get. Dendrobiums are a lot more diverse in their care and lighting needs than phalaenopsis.

[lauraeli]

On picture six, below the new growth on the left, you can see another smaller new growth. It looks like it is pretty crowded there. Should i leave it as it is? Or, while repotting, would it be reasonable to try to separate the two 'mother' canes that they are sprouting from?

Would a coarse bark mix work? What about if I were to attach it to the pot without medium?

Ive got aquarium gravel. Ive also got a little bit of lava rock. And the bark.

Whichever way I pot, it would only need to be able to survive the occasional 3 day weekend.

[NYCorchidman]

Obviously, the new growths and the new roots coming out of them are alive.

The older roots, the white ones all around the whole root ball and mix, may or may not be alive.
You can tell easily by twisting them when super dry like it looks in those pictures. The dead ones will easily break as they are very brittle when dry.
The live roots will be tough and will not break when gently pinched. So that's the quick and easy test if you are not sure.

I would not divide the plant yet. It may sulk for a long time if you did. It's best to grow them big. then they will stay stronger and bloom better. Wait until you have over 10 canes. then maybe cut in half, but not necessary.

You can grow orchids without any medium as long as you can find a way to keep them humidity super high and water all the time.

Choose what works the best for the conditions you can provide.

[Optimist]

Give it a chance. I personally have to smack my self acrosst the face and tell myself that the only new roots that will come out will come out during the growth season. Dead roots are just old roots. Rotten roots are roots that were watered too much during a non-growth phase. Because I count myself the laziest orchideer, my favorites are the Cattleyas and the dendrobiums. They are very forgiviing. Plug that thing in a small bark mix, in a pot with good drainage, and put it in nearly full sun, or very bright shade, water everyday, because it is growth time. You will see lots of small new roots. The roots will slither like little snakes through the potting material, where they will stay about 2 years till he next time they are potted. Water. Sunlight, air movement, a tiny amount of fertilizer is all you need.