URGENT- Amateur Dendrobium lover from Chennai, India

[Anjana]

Hi. I am Anjana from Chennai India. My husband got me two grown Dendrobium Phals. This motivated me to grow them from younger plants. Chennai temperature touches 40°C. The leaves of my young ones are becoming rubbery or yellow or looking shrivelled. Everyone says not to water the orchids regularly. But with this temperature, they seem to be finding it difficult.
Please advise.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Water when dry. It is summer in India right now, (actually it is summer for pretty much the entire northern hemisphere). Summer is growing season. Unless it is winter rest period, it is best to continue watering normally.

Do not worry about dropped leaves too much with Dendrobium phalaenopsis type hybrids. They are still ok even if only 1 cane is holding on to 1 or 2 leaves.

[Anjana]

Thanks Phillip. Feeling much better

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

I looked up your weather. Your relative humidity is also high, which is helpful. This kind of plant needs plentiful water during warm weather. It should not be dry for very long. However, it does not like to stand in wet medium.

I have several of this kind of Dendrobium. My growing space is sometimes in your temperature range, but my relative humidity is a little lower. During these hot times my plants dry out and need watering in about 2 days. They are potted in large chunks of bark. If your potting medium is of smaller size particles, it may take longer to dry out.

Small plants need more frequent watering than larger plants. How small are your plants?

[Anjana]

Thanks estacoin seca for taking time out to see my weather conditions. My plants are small. Some are growing in clay medium and others in chunks of bark. I have hung them in baskets and cones. The ones in pots do not dry out as much as others. Going by your reply and Philip's, I feel that the hung ones are drying faster. Will start by more frequent watering. Will keep you posted. Thanks😊

[AJW]

Simple rule of thumb Little and often. I water mine every two days in the summer and our temps only get around 25 c. I also add fert once a week. These orchids are epiphitic and the medium only helps spread the roots so the air can get around them. I have a few on open mounts with their roots in open air doing very well.

[Anjana]

Thanks AJW. All replies have encouraged me to water the plants more regularly.
Thanks all, once again.