Advice needed with dendrobium roots & repotting

[jcec1]

Originally Posted by 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.

Try Amazon, I'm a prime member so get next day delivery - I just ordered Seramis orchid mix, they do pots as well.

[Dollythehun]

Try Lowe's or Home Depot, Better gro is better than no Gro. Also, if you have Amazon Prime, you could get 1 day delivery...

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Try Lowe's or Home Depot, Better gro is better than no Gro. Also, if you have Amazon Prime, you could get 1 day delivery...

I don't think that the UK has Lowes or Home Depot, I am sure there are equivalent "home improvement" stores... but Amazon is everywhere.

[Dollythehun]

Good call Roberta, I missed that. Jec1, what's the UK equivalent?

[HUMMINGBIRDem]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Good call Roberta, I missed that. Jec1, what's the UK equivalent?

No we don't sadly, I think b&q is probably the equivalent and that is where I checked, although I do have a great garden centre close by to me it closes quite early (missed it today) but I'm going to go tomorrow before work. I don't have prime but if this other place doesn't work out I will get prime just for the free trial

[jcec1]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Good call Roberta, I missed that. Jec1, what's the UK equivalent?

B and Q, Homebase, also a couple of chain garden centres Dobbies and Wyevale.
I just got this delivered this evening. I like it for my non phalaenopsis orchids.
Seramis Orchid Potting Mix, 7 L: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

[HUMMINGBIRDem]

Originally Posted by jcec1

B and Q, Homebase, also a couple of chain garden centres Dobbies and Wyevale.
I just got this delivered this evening. I like it for my non phalaenopsis orchids.
Seramis Orchid Potting Mix, 7 L: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

Brilliant thanks! I will look out for this. Or order if they don't have it or the equivalent.

[estación seca]

Several comments - D. kingianum shouldn't sit in water, but neither should it dry out while making new growth. It is fine, but not necessary, to let it dry out completely during the cool winter. If left too dry for too long during the winter, though, pseudobulbs will shrivel and leaves will drop.

My opinion, after viewing lots of D. kingianum problem threads here, is people don't water it nearly enough during warm weather, and they don't keep it cold enough during the winter. The first problem leads to dying new growths and dying roots. The second problem leads to no flowers.

I think the kind of potting mix your plant came in would be just fine for a D. kingianum so long as it isn't overwatered, and it is repotted at least every 2 years. This is a typical well-aerated peat and perlite based potting mix, and it works very well for plants that like to be evenly moist, with well-aerated roots. This kind of mix breaks down rapidly, and by 2 years it becomes dense and doesn't admit as much air. The orchid murderer left it sitting in water. The air spaces were blocked and the roots may be dead. I agree you should repot now.

Your choice of potting mix should be governed by your watering practices - do you overwater, or underwater? If you overwater, use larger-chunked bark or LECA. If you underwater, use small Seramis, long-fiber sphagnum moss or fine bark. I would use that slotted pot only if you're an overwaterer, or your neck of the isle is very humid in the summer.

The new growths curling off and to the sides show the plant didn't get enough light when they were forming. I would think this plant could tolerate full English sun all summer long. It certainly tolerates full sun along the California coast, where it is much sunnier and warmer. I would also think a plant in a large-chunk mix in a slotted pot should tolerate a normal rainy summer outdoors without cover.

[HUMMINGBIRDem]

Thank you for the great advice and info. I have purchased a clay pot which is not slotted mainly because I couldn't find any of that kind in the garden centre. I have purchased the seramis also. I have only had the plant about 8 months so there's a good chance it has been in the same pot a while. It has not really lost any leaves, just a couple at the beginning of summer. The pseudobulbs actually feel fine, strong and non of which have died. There's a few leaves with the tips missing but I know the culprit to that was a naughty cat.

[camille1585]

A bit late since you have already bought what you need, but in the UK you can get supplies here:
Orchid Supplies UK | Making Orchid Growing Easy!

Being outside the UK I don't get anything there, but did get some nice Neofinetia falcata from him during their imported plants sale in September.

If you got that Den in a supermarket/garden center, then it's very likely to be Den kingianum hybrid, Den Berry 'Oda'. The majority of this mass marketed type of Den in western Europe is that hybrid, based on discussions I had in the past with people that have spoke with suppliers. Both of mine were labeled as such as well when I bought them. The advantage of this hybrid (if it's really that) is that it's more forgiving than the species, and can be easier to get into bloom.