Advice needed with dendrobium roots & repotting

[greenpassion]

I only have Kinganium Dens. From the pics, the roots look awful, but I think the plant looks good. ?? You said your now watering a couple times a week. This is more a question to the others here, but isn't that a bit much for this time of year, for a dendrobium? Or is it just that kinganiums should be watered less late fall thru winter?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by greenpassion

I only have Kinganium Dens. From the pics, the roots look awful, but I think the plant looks good. ?? You said your now watering a couple times a week. This is more a question to the others here, but isn't that a bit much for this time of year, for a dendrobium? Or is it just that kinganiums should be watered less late fall thru winter?

Dendrobium is a huge, varied genus. Some of them do need a winter rest, others not (though generally, if it is cool, everything gets watered less because it doesn't dry out so fast) When I think "reduce water" I think more of Den nobile types, and Den. aggregatum (lindleyi) that really need to dry out (though even those get an occasional drink when the temperature is high and humidity low) I don't particularly dry out Den. kinganum or Den speciosum, and they bloom just fine. Wen in doubt. water (allowing the Den to dry between waterings, of course) At worst you get keikis and not flowers, but it doesn't hurt the plant if you miss a rest period.

[Dollythehun]

As you know, we all do it differently. I water less in the fall and winter. But I always water by weight. All my plants are in clay. The ones that need extra moisture are in a moss mix. The dens I grow, with one exception, don't need a winter rest. I'm assuming kingianum is similar to lautoria types.

[Roberta]

D. kingianum and D. speciosum are tough temperate-zone Aussies that seem to take whatever nature throws their way. Cold, heat, and drought don't seem to faze them. I associate the lautoria types with more tropical regions (even though they grow into pretty high elevations and so can take fairly cool temperatures), needing a lot more humidty, I think, to be happy. At least in my environment... lautoria types are a lot harder for me to grow. Water quality may also be an issue... I'm finding that these New Guinea Dens are doing better with RO water. The kingianums and speciosums totally don't care, growing quite happily with hard city water. They are as much at home in southern California as Eucalyptus, and not much harder to grow here.

[HUMMINGBIRDem]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

It looks like a Lautouria type and they are tough!

I'm unsure, these garden centres rarely label their plants correctly or with enough detail. kingianum is the kind I think?

---------- Post added at 05:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:46 AM ----------

Well I'm going to clean off the roots, repot and perhaps water a little less, I always allow to dry between waterings though, often it only needs one watering a week, sometimes twice, as winter approaches it's lessening, the plant probably sat in water for 3 weeks sadly which I think caused the root damage. Another question, will these plants flower from the same leaf position where the flower stalks were/are dried out or from new leaves? Sorry I don't know the correct terminology yet!

[HUMMINGBIRDem]

Would a pot like this be recommended?

[Dollythehun]

The lautorias bloom from the same canes for a few years. I can't see any problem with the pot. If you look back at the forums, you'll see a picture of my Little Atro I bloom. I do notice the leaves get folded if to dry.

[bil]

Originally Posted by HUMMINGBIRDem

Me neither, so leave the bad roots in there or remove? I always thought it looked mossy with soil which I thought was odd but guessed this type of orchid just needed that, I suppose the roots are probably struggling to move!

Ewwww. I would very carefully open that mass out, try and keep as many roots as poss. Wash off all the crud and don't cut any roots even if they look bad as they still help, if only to anchor.

I'd use fine bark sieved, t pot it up in, don't go deeper than 4 inches if at all poss, and put a few rocks on it to keep it upright.

Basically those roots just can't breathe. Hopefully you have caught it in time, but my advice always is, when you buy an orchid, unless it is OBVIOUSLY well potted, repot that same day.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by HUMMINGBIRDem

Would a pot like this be recommended?

Terracotta pots are great, especially for plants that tend to be top heavy (like this one) And the air circulation will also be helpful. Hard to overwater in this type of pot.

You are right to repot, to save the plant. However, the timing is not ideal... don't expect much root growth until spring. Use a stake or two to stabilize the plant if you can't pack the bark tightly enough to hold it stable - that stability will be vital when it does decide to produce new roots.

If this Den is in the kingianum/speciosum group (or hybrid thereof) it definitely can produce flowers from old canes for several years (both from the center of the leaves and from nodes on the cane itself. I have even seen them flower from canes that have lost leaves. Don't remove any canes that aren't dead and brown and crisp all the way down, at least until it gets big enough that you HAVE to put it on a diet.

[HUMMINGBIRDem]

Thank you for all of the advice so far, I am so desperate to re pot this, I went to a gardening centre earlier and they have nothing for orchids. Not even terracotta pots! Very disappointed. I inspected the plant again as I'm very worried about it, I found 2 tiny snails in there! Shocked, the plant had never been outside and these have obviously been lurking in there since the beginning. Who knows what else is lurking in there, I'm going to go to another place tomorrow and I really hope they have what I need. so are there any pests I should be looking for or a way to remove them other than washing away? I WILL SAVE THIS PLANT!