Dendrobium Tosca 039

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The orchid family is one of the largest plant families, with very many thousands of species. There are orchids in Alaska and northern Siberia, all the way to the equator. Some grow in hot tropical sun and some grow in deep shade. Each kind of plant needs its own proper temperature and light. An orchid that grows on a sunny rock in Australia - like some of the ancestors of Dendrobium Tosca - will not flourish in deep shade on a tree trunk, like the ancestors of a lot of Phalaenopsis hybrids. Look up Dendrobium speciosum and look up Phalaenopsis amabilis.

[charlesf6]

came in tonight:



do I water and pot it?

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If you have KelpMax, soak the whole plant in a solution of 2 Tablespoons / 30ml of that in 1 gallon / 3.78 liters of water, for 4-6 hours. You can use those proportions to mix up less. If you don't have Kelpmax, soak in pure water.

Repot and water when the soak is done. Water when dry. Fertilizing will depend on how much warmth and light you can give it through the winter.

I would use a pot that is 2" square if it holds all the roots. If the roots don't fit into a 2" pot, use the smallest size that holds all the roots.

If you plan to use bark, use fine bark for a 2" pot, medium if larger.

You will probably need to stake it.

[charlesf6]

The roots were very moist when I unraveled the foil wrapper they were in I think that the seller might have watered before shipping.

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Then I would let it dry out, pot it, and immediately water it with a kelp solution.

[charlesf6]

Should I be concerned with the upper leaf spotting?

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Yeah, that's definitely scale. I don't know how to treat scale, but I would contact the vendor and ask for a refund. Scale can be hard to get rid of and it is unacceptable to send a plant that is clearly scale infested.

[estación seca]

The plant obviously is infested with a lot of scale insects. Keep it far away from other plants. These are bad.

See whether the vendor will refund your money. You should not have to pay money to ship back an insect-infested plant. If they won't agree to refund your money in 1-2 days, contact eBay and file a complaint. Include the photos and leave them a bad review. There is no excuse for sending a plant obviously infested with scale insects.

It would also be good if you go to the Vendor Feedback forum here, post the photo and name the vendor.

I hope you didn't get this from overseas, without proper phytosanitary certificate and import permit. This is why we have import inspection and documentation requirements.

If you want plants similar to this, you need to buy them from Fred Clarke at Sunset Valley Orchids. He hybridizes Australian Dendrobiums. The plants you buy from him are much larger and healthier than the one you got. Several of us have bought some from Fred in the past year and bloomed them in 2.5" / 5cm pots.

[charlesf6]

what to do with this plant if he doesn't take it back?
do not want to infect any other plants.

[estación seca]

Hmmmm... my post disappeared. For now, be sure you keep it far from your other plants.

Many people would toss that plant in the trash, after sealing it in a plastic bag so the bugs don't get onto anything else.

Others would treat with a serious pesticide, something like imidacloprid or malathion.

I have killed scale by submerging the entire plant for 12 hours in water with a tiny amount of dish soap added - just enough to make a few bubbles when agitated. I would take it out of the medium if you do that, and throw away the medium. But don't do a soak until you've settled with the vendor - some plants with severe scale damage die quickly after a soak.