Dendrobium
 

I have a dendrobium that I bought last August in Florida and brought it home to Virginia. During the fall/winter all the leaves fell off. It was in spagnum so I repotted in an orchid bark mixture that allows for good drainage.

I have two questions: are the leaves supposed to fall off in the fall/winter and now I have a small growth coming off the top and looks to have roots. Is this a keike?

I have never had an orchid so is mine dying or can it be saved if it is? What can I do?

Thanks

Some dendrobiums (nobile) do lose their leaves each fall/winter and others keep them. Whether it is okay for your dendrobium to lose its leaves depends on which type of orchid it is. Does your dendrobium have a name? If not, do you have a picture of it in bloom or can you describe how it bloomed? The care of your den. depends on the type it is so it is a good idea to know which type it is.

---------- Post added at 08:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:52 PM ----------

Ps. As long as it is getting a new growth, it is definitely not dying. The correct care, however, will help it to thrive and bloom.

Leaves falling off Dendrobiums means winter rest...you water less. If you have a small growth(keiki) with roots coming out of it, it means your plant has come out of winter rest...you continue watering it regularly and fertilizer(weekly weakly)...when the keike has three to five inches roots, you can twist it off and plant it in the same pot or you can make a new seedling pot for it...

The flowers were a nice purple color and had a nice 18 inch and 10 inch spike with numerous flowers. The flowers lasted about 7 weeks. Unfortunately it did not have a name so I am hoping it is very hardy. I did cut the spikes after they both turned brown like the color of straw......they broke off rather easily. I did not water very often (every 7-12 days) and spray watered with a 20-20-20 mix. I always stuck my finger in the medium to make sure it was not too moist. During the winter should I do anything to it so it can keep its leaves? I really appreciate the responses because I am a novice except for what I have read.

from your description doesn't sound like a type that wants a winter rest (tho can't say for sure - can you post a pic?)
All plants do shed old foliage at some point, so a pic would really help so we can see if it looks like a deciduous Den or not, and if not, if the leaf drop looks to be something normal or not

Dendrobium
 

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...1&d=1331435285Tried to


Tried to insert a pic the first time but obviously did it incorrectly :((

ok - it does look like a deciduous type - the new growth on the cane is a keiki - Don't know how well the plant is doing - I'd definitely check the roots

I looked at the roots last week when I put the orchid in the new pot with large well draining bark and they were white and just a tiny tiny bit moist.

Okay. It is a phal-den of some sort. The den doesn't look too great. I am not certain why. These do like a home over 65'F, preferably warmer. They don't want to be too close to a really cold window but not more than ten inches away (preferably a south-facing window) as they need bright light. The warmer the temp, the more you water, the cooler the temps, the drier you keep them. I have mine in lava rock and plastic net pots (fast drying) and water every seven to eight days in the winter and every day or other day in the summer. When watering, I water heavily so the roots can absorb the water. After a good watering, the roots turn green and are firm. If my den looked like yours, I'd gently pick out the top third or half of bark and check the roots that are in the middle. I'd do this when I felt the den was ready to water so I could see if the bark was really dry on the bottom and in the middle. If so, I'd then soak the orchid for ten minutes and then check the roots. Hope this helps.

---------- Post added at 01:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:46 AM ----------

PS. Some of these do resent being repotted and, if they aren't staked firmly in the pot, will lose all their leaves and roots. They do recover once they are firmly staked and begin a new growth.

---------- Post added at 03:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:52 AM ----------

If the canes are turning yellow, you will probably get to start over with the kiki. If they are still green (can't really tell for certain...lighting), a new growth should start at the bottom. Sometimes a kiki is a last ditch effort to live when the orchid is dying.

I agree with Leafmite - to me your plant looks like it's in distress. My phal type den started to lose its leaves and grow keikis - turned out the roots had rotted due to the temperature dropping too low.

From what you say, it doesn't sound like you're over-watering, so I would check the central roots as Leafmite has suggested and move it to a warmer area. They really like to be kept warm.

It is about 70 in my house. Do these like the sun? I have a rather large sliding glass south facing door so I can put it on the dining room table so it is in bright light (not in the direct sunlight).

Generally speaking, they do like bright indirect light. I have mine in a south window and the love it. During the winter, it's practically full sun too.

It looks over-potted to me. Most Dens. like to be under-potted in a pot that the roots will just fit into. If not, there is a danger of keeping the media moist for too long. Bottom heat might help this one.

I agree that the pot is big but I had it in a smaller pot and it tipped over because of the weight of the canes. It is going to be in the mid to high 70's this week and it will have some outside time. I am really hoping this one does ok. I have the keiki to pot in the coming weeks and I thinking about using packing peanuts and bark as a medium......I tried this on another orchid and it did really well.

Update
 

The main plant died but I did take the keiki and potted it in rocks......is has a really nice green color and is doing well. Once I took the keiki the main plant died quickly.

I am glad you saved a part of it. Once you figure out what works for you, orchids become very easy and rewarding to grow. Good luck!

Update: the main orchid died but I have a keiki. Now after some time I have a new cane growing. I potted the new den in rocks and it seems to really like its conditions.

Nice!

I put the plastic pots of my dens inside a ceramic one, which is heavier and doesn't tip over easily.