Dendrobium help needed!!!!

[ChasWG]

So I have owned this Dendro. Norma Jackson x Den. 'Pink Sunshine' for a few months now and it has done nothing. No growth, no spikes, nothing.

Well, not nothing exactly, it is now loosing leaves. It lost one leaf a few weeks ago as it shriveled up and turned yellow. Now it's happening again to the other leaf on the opposite side. And three other leaves are starting to shrivel a bit too on another cane.
What is going on?





Here's a picture of the good leaves on the other two canes



Those leaves are more rounded that the longer spear shaped leaves that are dropping.

What's going on with this plant? This is my only Dendrobium that I own. It gets watered when it is dry, maybe once a week. Is that too little? I thought these guys like to dry out some.

Any help would be much appriciated as I would hate to loose this plant.

[isurus79]

Looks thirsty to me. Try bumping up the water schedule a bit.

[ChasWG]

So is that it? More water is what's needed.? I was hoping for a few more folks to maybe say something.

[Lagoon]

Hay Chas,

I agree it needs water - are the roots in good shape?
I've got dens that drink like tanks, that don't like to go dry at all - while others seems to prefer some dry out time. So it does depend on the den.

[quiltingwacko]

Orchid Wiz says Norma Jackson likes "50%-60% humidity. Keep moist in the Spring-Summer, when plant is in active growth. Grow in a pot with porous, free-draining media. The pot should be small for plant size. Fertilize weekly, weakly (one quarter to half the normal dose). Reduce water/feeding during the cooler months. "

[ChasWG]

Sweet!!!

Thanks for the help!

I'll be changing a few things here right now.

Again, thanks!

[quiltingwacko]

Cannot find anything for Pink Sunshine. Sorry.

[wandrako]

Try soaking the pot for about 20 min to make sure that the medium is wet all the way thru.

Had the problem once and Merritt Huntington said just pouring water thru the medium wouldn't do it.

[ChasWG]

That's how I water my Ficus bonsia. Maybe I'll have to try and soak the poor thing in the same way.. Though I was just rooting around in the medium and it's pretty evenly moist now that I've hosed it down a bunch. It looks like I'll loose the one leaf wrinkled and yellowing. I hope the other three start to turn around.

As for increasing the humidity, that's going to be hard for me. The plant is too tall to fit into my orchid enclosure. I really need to rework that little experiment. Maybe some new movable shelves and larger lights.

[Vulpes Velox]

hey, i only have experince with nobile within the Dendrobium, but i water once per week and then every or every other day when its hot use a duster on the plant and top of the medium (not much just some) and both plants i have grow a lot. and appear healthy... but it might also be much warmer where you live, so perhaps even more watering is needed