Den Yellow Chinsai 'Little Joe'

[Anne McGee]

Does anyone know anything about Den Yellow Chinsai 'Little Joe'? I bought one last spring at Carter and Holmes and it does not look good. Cape Fear Woman

[WhiteRabbit]

I found this post with some care info
Dendrobium yellow Chinsai or Brassavola Perrinii

I grow mine in a bright windowsill so it should do fine under lights. Give it lots of water and fertilizer while it's actively growing and keep it much drier (water enough to keep the canes from shriveling) with no fertilizer in the winter. Cooler weather initiates blooming, mine buds reliably after about a month of nights in the low 60s F.

I also found this thread with some care info
Dendrobium Leaf Drop & Blotchy Leaves

Hopefully others familiar with it will chime in!

[desertanimal]

Originally Posted by Anne McGee

Does anyone know anything about Den Yellow Chinsai 'Little Joe'? I bought one last spring at Carter and Holmes and it does not look good. Cape Fear Woman

I don't know much of anything about Dens, but I am pretty sure that you were my high school English teacher. What a funny, small world.

[Anne McGee]

desertanimal: where did you attend high school? Anne McGee

[desertanimal]

North Stafford High School. I'm Stephanie Meredith.

[Anne McGee]

HA! I see your posts on FB and have been happy you have an interesting life. And now, lo, you and I again have a similar interest. Once I stopped teaching at UNCW, orchids became a great hobby for me.
psYou were one of my favorites at NHS, but I guess you knew that.

[desertanimal]

Now that I live in Boston where I find the winters long and dreary, I started keeping orchids to liven up the indoor space. In AZ I just used to wander around outside looking for critters. Here, that's not as productive for a lot of the year.

I'm happy to hear it. I didn't know that for sure, but it makes sense. You were one of my favorites as well. My very favorite, really, and by far the teacher I respected the most. Good to "see" you!

[IcePenguin]

It's a beautiful hybrid! Species include heterocarpum, moniliforme, and unicum. Bright, indirect light. Can be grown in cool to warm temps but night time temps especially in winter should be cool. Water the heck out of it during summer when in active growth. As late fall and winter near, greatly reduce watering and fertilizer. Hope this helps you.

[Anne McGee]

Thanks. All the leaves fell off. I took it out of the pot and there were no roots. I soaked it in Root-All for 24 hours and repotted it. I think the medium stayed too wet, and the roots rotted. CapeFear

[wonderlen3000]

Originally Posted by Anne McGee

Thanks. All the leaves fell off. I took it out of the pot and there were no roots. I soaked it in Root-All for 24 hours and repotted it. I think the medium stayed too wet, and the roots rotted. CapeFear

If the roots are rotted, there is nothing you can do. Dendrobium don't like to stay wet very long and if you are potting again, use very course bark with large chunks of charcoal/perlite for aeriation. You just have to wait till spring, for new growths again.

If you plant is large enough, it might give out secondary growths, but it wouldn't going to be grow very big. You just need to monitor the humidity through fall/winter months. But Den are very tough.