Den phal how do I restrict water twice?

[allla]

This is my first ever den phal (I bought 4 of them on sale in a supermarket because they were so pretty).

They all flowered, then the leaves also dropped slowly and even if the roots were not dry the stems seem to dry out. No sign of any new growth and this has been going on for about a month. I have them in small to medium bark in glass vases (no holes but air circulates because of the size of the bark, the roots do not dry completely in a week partly because I covered the plant with a plastic bag to keep it all from dehydrating, no mould either because I left a big hole open) There is condensation on the glass every day, the roots are whitish.

How long am I supposed to restrict water and am I doing it the right way? (I haven't watered for over a month but moisture in the plastic bag is still high)

I have 2 den nobile, one was kept from watering last winter for a month and now has flowered again and has 2 new stems; it looks quite happy but seems to prefer a daily shower and quick dry...

The other den nobile was also a "good deal" and came with some problems... now it has 5 keikis but the old stems that flowered seem to dehydrate more and more and slowly dry out. Is this normal? The keikis are growing new roots all white.

Can I help them in any way not to starve themselves?

I would like to thank everyone for your understanding and for taking the time to bring a little piece of advice.

[Ordphien]

Old canes will wrinkle. As long as it's not too severe and the newer ones are plump.

Phal dendrobiums do not want a winter rest.
They want to be watered evenly year round.

[stonedragonfarms]

If you can post a picture or two, that would help; that being said, D. phalaenopsis needs regular watering throughout the year, but a reduction in the frequency of watering during the late fall and winter months. If you are growing them in pots, it is imperative that they be grown in a very free-draining media in open pots (think clay pots or plastic orchid pots); you can also grow them mounted, but I would advise against this in the home environment. From mid-spring (about 15 March here in the northern hemisphere) to mid summer (about 15 June), water about every 5-7 days (if you are growing in the greenhouse, water every 2-3 days); from mid-summer to mid-fall (about 15 September), water every 2-3 days indoors (every day in the greenhouse), then taper back watering to every 5-7 days from mid september, until mid winter (about 15 December), at which time further decrease watering to once every 10-12 days in the house (if you are in the greenhouse, I'd use every 10 days as a rule). You want the media to just approach dryness before being watered again, excepting the summer growing period, when the plants would be subjected to almost daily rains. Also remember that these dendrobiums appreciate a 10-12 degree (farenheit) drop in temperature from day to night, but night temperatures should be somewhere in the low 70's for optimum culture. It sounds to me as though you have interpreted restricted watering to mean no watering, which is not the case. I would unpot the plants from their glass vases, trim any roots that appear dead, pot up in fresh bark (and remember dendrobiums like relatively small pots as compared to plant size), stake them, and give them a thorough watering. I'm sure the others will chime in, good luck,
Adam