Help! Dendrobium leaves on one cane turning yellow

[Lady Oscar]

At the beginning of July I bought a Lowe's rescue Dendrobium aridang green (Lowe's rescue - Dendrobium aridang green). It had small black spots on the leaves on one cane, but not the others.

The plant has been looking happy since then, and the spots have not spread. It's currently growing two new canes, and there are a bunch of new roots showing at the top of the media.

However, this morning I saw that the leaves on the cane that had the black spots have abruptly turned yellow. This plant sits on the end table next to my elbow in my usual living room seat so I look at it many times a day, and it was definitely fine yesterday.

I thought a bit of sunburn, since this plant is the closest to a window that I have, but if anything it's been more overcast lately.

The last time I watered it was three days ago, using fertilizer at 1/4 strength as usual.

The leaves on the other canes, new and old, all look perfectly fine and normal.

Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be, or advice on what I should do? I've become very fond of this plant, and I'm horrified that it's suddenly unhappy!

[estación seca]

I reread your earlier thread. I just noticed you said it's fragrant. I also searched online for the plant, and saw some closeup photos. The flowers look like they have some Formosae group or Latouria group species in their background. Most Den phal hybrids are not fragrant, but the above two groups might have provided fragrance. Both of these groups tend to like regular water and fertilizer all year, as do Den phals. In your always-warm climate, you can water and fertilize all year.

The tallest cane is producing the new growth. The yellowing leaves are on the cane behind the tallest one. In other words, it's an older cane. These drop leaves naturally after a couple of years. I think it could be normal.

If the plant had a more extensive roots system, this growth might have held its leaves for another season. But you mentioned in the earlier post that it was a rescue plant.

The fact that the canes are still firm, the new growth looks good, all the leaves are falling off at the same time, and the look of the leaves falling off, all suggest to me the plant is dropping its leaves normally.

[Lady Oscar]

Thank you so much for the reassurance! The cane has lost all its leaves now, but otherwise the plant looks perfectly happy and normal. I'm a bit confused by the structure of this Dendrobium - on one side of the pot is a new cane, then the tallest cane, the second-tallest that just lost its leaves, then three short leafless canes, a short cane with leaves, and all the way on the far side another new cane coming up.

Although the plant is a rescue, I haven't repotted it. I was waiting for it to drop its few remaining blooms, and then because the new canes and roots looked so happy I wasn't sure I should move it. Do you think the fact that this cane lost its leaves is a sign I should go ahead and re-pot?

[estación seca]

I'm guessing your plant has two growing points. The two canes with leaves probably grew at about the same time, and each is forming another growth now.

I would repot when it's making new roots.

[POLKA]

If I saw your pictures correctly, you don't need to repot right now.

Dendies like to be left alone as long as possible, and when you do repot, do it into a dinky a pot as possible, picking a size for the root-ball, not the top. You will then want to set the pot in another pot to help hold it up. It is just the way with dendrobiums.

Another thing about these grocery store type dendrobiums is that they will loose their leaves on their older stems in their third year, sometimes their second while growing new growths. They are translocating their foodstuffs from old to new. However, don't ever remove canes from a dendrobium unless it is diseased or absolutely dead, because it can and probably will bloom from older canes too. Side benefits!

Hope this helps

Take care and may all your orchids bloom like crazy!
Rex
aka POLKA

[ScanEagle]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater My Airdang green has the same problem

[Lady Oscar]

Originally Posted by ScanEagle

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater My Airdang green has the same problem

I can't get your pic to load, but an update on my plant - the new canes are still growing and looking good, the other existing canes still have all their leaves, and there are some new roots, too. I haven't repotted due to laziness/worry that I'd upset things. I don't know if it's because this plant has the position closest to the window, or what, but it produces crazy amounts of "happy sap".

I originally stuck Jon on the side table next to my chair where my laptop used to live because I wanted to keep his tiny ant problem contained, but now the ants are gone and I've moved a couple more plants there for the extra light. As orchids take over my house.... :-P