Sick Dendrobium Ice on fire

[Saiva]

I was given a Dendrobium Ice on fire by my mother about a week ago. It's not very healthy and she gave it to me because she thinks I should try to save it.

Does anyone know the parents' to this particular hybride? I've been searching the internet but I didn't find anything. :/

Here are a few pictures of the plant, I don't know what's wrong with it though.










Uhm... So sorry about the size of the pictures. I don't know how to make them smaller like thumbnails.

[Zoi2]

I don't know the parents of the plant, but have you checked the roots? What condition are they in?
Joann

[Saiva]

I just repotted the plant and the roots seems just fine...

[phearamedusa]

if the roots are fine and healthy, check the ph of your water, fertilizer mix. If its too high/low then you will lock out some elements and others will be more easily taken up causing deficiencies and toxicities at the same time.

[cirillonb]

I could not find this hybrid in OrchidWiz. Although the time is not right for the northern hemisphere the plant looks somewhat like it is going into hibernation. Need to check light, temp...in other words all that is important to culture.
Nick

[Saiva]

I water this with tap water(so did my mother) which is supposed to have a pH at around 8. Too alkaline, I know... Maybe I should buy a bucket and start to melt some snow instead? (A lot of hassle, very little water).

The grower told my mother that this is a quite new hybride. She didn't ask any more about the plant.
This plant has unfortunately not gotten any additional light until now. Both me and my mother live at about the same latitude as Fairbanks, Alaska(dark winters...). But I've got a few extra light bulbs for the orchids. 50W low-energy lamps with a "daylight spectra" (both warm and cold light).

So you just think the plant is not feeling well because wrong growing conditions? I was afraid that it had a disease of some type!

Thank you for your replies!!

[orkie]

Is it a nobile type hybrid? Where are the old flower spikes (if it has any), towards the top or along the canes? Nobiles bloom along the canes, while a phal-type or antelope type would bloom on a big long spike at the top.

The shape of the canes and leaf loss makes me think it's a nobile type and so would require nobile type care (no fertilizer from August until new growth appears in spring and less/minimal water in winter until new growth appears.

[Saiva]

That's what I thought too considering the shape of the canes! But I just found out from another forum that it probably has parents of the Dendrobium formosum - type.

D. Ice on fire looks a lot like D. Fire and snow (Dendrobium christyanum (syn margaritaceum) x Dendrobium formosum).

I'll just follow the growing advices given for thease species and hope for the best.

Thank you for all the replies!

[orkie]

On a 2nd look at your pics, I agree, it's got some formosum background, you can tell b/c of the little black hairs on the canes. I have a nigrohirsute hybrid, I give it the same care as all my non-nobile type Dens, and it's got bloom spike right now, so it's pretty easy (Mine is Den Lemon Ice). Water heavily in summer and just cut back in winter, I let mine get as high as 90 in summer and down to 50 or so in winter and it seems happy.

Good luck!

[Saiva]

Thank you!