Dendrobium Phenomanon: Is this normal?

[alorindanya]

Hi there. I bought this orchid about four weeks ago, and the day I brought it home, this leaf fell off. Some of the leaves on the other plants I purchased (not this one) have turned yellow and fallen off, but this leaf fell off Day 1 and still hasn't changed color. In fact, it looks to be the healthiest leaf of the bunch. Any thoughts?

[alorindanya]

Hello? I see 36 people have read this, and no one has replied? I'm not kidding, still, the leaf is perfectly fine and detached from the plant. It has been a month! I don't know if it is because I spray the plant daily to keep moisture around, and that spray has fertilizer in it.

[Royal]

I am by no means an expert, but I though I might take a whack at this one.

Don't sweat loosing a leaf off of a Dendrobium. Some are actually deciduous, loosing some or most leaves seasonally. Don't save the leaf -- just toss it.

It is possible that the daily misting is hurting things. Fugal rot may develop, especially if you're spraying the leaves. You want the potting mix to dry out in between waterings, so daily misting is not really necessary. If you just can't stand it, mist the roots only. That will increase the humidity around the plant without soaking it.

Just don't worry too much, and be patient for the warm and humid spring to get that puppy outside! Hope this helps.

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[cb977]

First time I'm reading this

It's no big deal when a Den drops a leaf...or on some, all their leaves!

I can't phathom why a "good" leaf fell off but I have a question...why are you keeping it?

[alorindanya]

honestly, I'm just keeping it to see how long it lasts detached. I think it is amazing it's lasted a month.

And I'm only misting the roots, the rest of the plant isn't getting the moisture.

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[Phantasm]

I would preserve the leaf as an example of the ability of this plant to shed leaves that remain green. Unusual, but time is likely against it....If it stays green for a few months more that will be really interesting.

[CodiMN]

How are the canes doing? Do they still have leaves? Are they shriveling?
Yes, some orchids will throw a little temper tantrum when you bring them home to a new environment. I noticed in your first post that the particular leaf you photo'd was dropped the first day you brought it home.

[alorindanya]

Originally Posted by CodiMN

How are the canes doing? Do they still have leaves? Are they shriveling?
Yes, some orchids will throw a little temper tantrum when you bring them home to a new environment. I noticed in your first post that the particular leaf you photo'd was dropped the first day you brought it home.

Yeah, the plant itself is thriving. The new growth has grown about an inch in a month. I took this picture just now:



and this was it a month ago:

[quiltergal]

Alorindanya, it looks to me like it is doing the standard Den. throw a fit because it go moved to a different environment. That is completely normal. Actually I'm surprised you only lost one leaf. Kinda weird it's still green weeks later!

As an aside. There are far more guest users that view these threads than members. Guest users can't reply to threads. So the 36 people who viewed this thread may not have been members. We're outnumbered!

[Lagoon]

Dens can be somewhat cranky, but their as tough as nails, then some are just evil