Maybe a Dendrobium? - Orchid Board

Orchideetje · #1 10-12-2012, 02:40 PM

Hi all!

Just a few days ago I rescued two orchids from the dust-bin. My window cill is their new home, but I have no idea if that's actually a good place for them (there's a radiator under it). And I also don't know what kind they are. I have been browsing on the web and found some info about the Dendrobium orchid. It could be that my orchids are related to this family? At this moment they are not blossoming, but they get white flowers between the leaves. Should I also remove the old flowers? And the weird crumpled leaves on the left cane; is that normal? Further, should I water on the soil or should I sprinkle water on the leaves? In short, HELP!

Thank you in advance!!

Orchideetje

bellini girl · #2 10-12-2012, 04:25 PM

Look like dendrobiums to me. Others will chime in. Plant looks over potted, and dends tend to like to be pot bound..Just my 2 cents worth

Bud · #3 10-12-2012, 04:46 PM

Lecent is right...its a Dendrobium but since it has no blooms and no tag we cant say what kind of Den it is.....
put a stand under the pot to elevate it as to not cook it directly above the radiator....this might be cool growing and needs rest period in winter but we cant really be sure until we identify it ....

the pleating of the new leaves is due to the lack of moisture when it was neglected and before you rescued it....it will remain pleated; but now that you are watering it= it will give you healthy leaves

just trust your instincts....I can see that you have taken good care of the plant already...Good Luck !

ezil · #4 10-12-2012, 06:55 PM

Welcome, it's good to see another Nederlandse join the forum (I emigrated from there to Canada). I agree with Lecent and Bud. What you can do is put the whole pot in a larger clay pot, which you let soak in cold water for a few minutes in the morning. The evaporation from the clay will keep the root zone cooler for longer, without adding moisture to your mix. It's something some of us do here in the summer when it's hot to help our more heat sensitive plants. It's low tech, low cost, and works.

Silje · #5 10-13-2012, 08:53 AM

Looks like dendrobium nobile type to me. And as Bud says, it might (most probably) be a cool-growing type. There are some nobiles that can take more heat though, but they are rare compared to the more cool-growing ones, as far as I understand.

Don't freak out if it drops all its leaves. I'm not quite sure if I'm trying to convince you or myself right now, since I recently took over one that experienced an extreme climate change and responded by shedding just about all of the leaves, but these are deciduous plants and they can (and should) loose their leaves without that being a sign that the plant is dying.

gnathaniel · #6 10-13-2012, 02:44 PM

Probably not Den. nobile, but definitely something in section Dendrobium (of the same-named genus), likely a hybrid involving nobile and other related species. Most of the modern complex hybrids are very temperature-tolerant, liking warm/hot and moist summers followed by cooler, drier winters. I've grown them pretty warm (upper 90s/low 100s F in almost full sun) and never had one show signs of heat stress as long as kept moist. Hard to tell from the 2nd pic, but it looks like your plant may be severely afflicted by spider mites (silvery pitting on the leaves, pleating, etc.). I'd suggest doing some repeated soapy dunks or sprays to knock back the mites. Safer's or other horticultural soaps that use potassium-based salts will be gentler on your plant, but in a pinch you can use ordinary dish detergent as long as it's very dilute; google 'soap spray mites' or something for recommended concentrations. Maintaining good humidity will also help keep mites at bay; I usually only have problems with them in the winter when indoor spaces are dry. Hope this helps!

Movnhorses · #7 10-13-2012, 05:40 PM

I bought one of these at the Home Depot (didn't have a tag). It has the same type of stem w/ the leaves. Glad to know I have a dendobium orchid. You learn something everyday.

Silje · #8 10-13-2012, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

Probably not Den. nobile, but definitely something in section Dendrobium (of the same-named genus), likely a hybrid involving nobile and other related species.

I agree. It's probably not a Dendrobium nobile species plant.

I was thinking that it's something in the line of a e.g. Yamamoto Dendrobium,. The link provides some good info on general care of these types of dendrobiums.

This is a picture of a white NOID nobile hybrid on the left and a Den. nobile species on the right. The plant on the right exists in the wild. The one on the left is a hybrid.

As you can see, I've also got wrinkled leaves on mine. But I've only had it for a week or so and I see that the leaves are straightening out now and getting better than they were in the beginning. I'm thinking that the wrinkles are caused by too little water and dehydration, but I could be wrong. I've only recently got myself some dendrobiums and I've got very little experience with these guys.

Good luck with yours!

Orchideetje · #9 10-29-2012, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ezil

Welcome, it's good to see another Nederlandse join the forum (I emigrated from there to Canada). I agree with Lecent and Bud. What you can do is put the whole pot in a larger clay pot, which you let soak in cold water for a few minutes in the morning. The evaporation from the clay will keep the root zone cooler for longer, without adding moisture to your mix. It's something some of us do here in the summer when it's hot to help our more heat sensitive plants. It's low tech, low cost, and works.

Thank you Lecent, Bud and Ezil for your info and tips! I've potted both plants in smaller pots. And to be save, I've also given them another spot in my living room. They are now opposite a window and away from the radiator. I hope the pleating is due to lack of water and not damage from insects or anything. I try to keep the soil moist, but not to much...

Orchideetje · #10 10-29-2012, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silje

I agree. It's probably not a Dendrobium nobile species plant.

I was thinking that it's something in the line of a e.g. Yamamoto Dendrobium,. The link provides some good info on general care of these types of dendrobiums.

This is a picture of a white NOID nobile hybrid on the left and a Den. nobile species on the right. The plant on the right exists in the wild. The one on the left is a hybrid.

Attachment 73551

As you can see, I've also got wrinkled leaves on mine. But I've only had it for a week or so and I see that the leaves are straightening out now and getting better than they were in the beginning. I'm thinking that the wrinkles are caused by too little water and dehydration, but I could be wrong. I've only recently got myself some dendrobiums and I've got very little experience with these guys.

Good luck with yours!

Thank you Silje for your posts! I've taken the plants away from the radiator, so they should be much cooler now. Both have dropped 1 leave so far. The rest is green and pretty strong. I wish they would shed the pleated leaves, but they don't. I've considered to trim them away, but maybe that would not be wise...?

Thanks for the picture. My plants look very much alike. I've also just seen a photo of a Dendrobium Noid (White Frills). My orchids are not blooming at the moment, but I think I recognize the flowers...

Good luck also with your Dendrobiums!