Dendrobiums- what am I doing so wrong??! - Orchid Board

Kaykay · #1 10-18-2011, 11:19 AM

I seem to kill any Den I go near. I'm left with one which has pulled back from near-death twice over the past 2 years, but is once more on a slide downhill. It's a Den phal type, kept warm and bright, doing all the things I think I should do, but just never thriving at all. It's got no obvious signs of disease or pest damage, it's just losing the will to live like the Den. chrysotoxum did before it.
For the record, I've successfully grown many other types of orchids, but have 100% death rate for Dens.
So please, Den. growers. Give me your brightest and best tips to try one more time to bring this one back from the brink. I'm not going to buy another Den, I'm sticking to pleurothallids, onc. alliance and cattleya alliance from now on. Unless you can convert me back.
Kay

Kelo · #2 10-18-2011, 12:05 PM

What are your temps, watering and light conditions? Could you be over-watering them?

Merlyn · #3 10-18-2011, 12:20 PM

K is right. They like to dry out between watering. I have 2 that are mounted and I never water them more than every 3 or 4 days. They also like to be pot bound. So I don't repot them every year but sometimes wait 3 years. I have two in Aussie Gold that like it. I've had one in total LECA that liked it. INOW, they like a loose dry media, NO sphagnum for them ! The only other thing I can tell you is what my mentor told me "If it's a Den, put it outside !". I just got back from my NCOS meet where I took my Phal type Den for a blue ribbon. It's a compact grower and this year was outside until last week and has 7 spikes !!! The tallest leaf tip to the media is 10". This one's in a bark leca mix about 50/50.

Forgot to tell you, I've had it since 10/2004 !!!
.

Gage · #4 10-20-2011, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merlyn

K is right. They like to dry out between watering. I have 2 that are mounted and I never water them more than every 3 or 4 days. They also like to be pot bound. So I don't repot them every year but sometimes wait 3 years. I have two in Aussie Gold that like it. I've had one in total LECA that liked it. INOW, they like a loose dry media, NO sphagnum for them ! The only other thing I can tell you is what my mentor told me "If it's a Den, put it outside !". I just got back from my NCOS meet where I took my Phal type Den for a blue ribbon. It's a compact grower and this year was outside until last week and has 7 spikes !!! The tallest leaf tip to the media is 10". This one's in a bark leca mix about 50/50.

Forgot to tell you, I've had it since 10/2004 !!!
.

Does yours have a tag? I have this same compact Den, and the tag reads Den Dang Yai. But another user said it is Den Chao Praya. This name actually brings up confirming pics in google, but I thought I'd ask what your tag says.

Orchid126 · #5 10-18-2011, 03:14 PM

Merlyn and K are right. Let them dry out before watering them again. And give them as much light as they can take. Feel the leaves, and keep giving them more light until the leaves feel warm, then set them back a bit. They like very tight shoes and resent having their roots disturbed. They also do not like a lot of nitrogen, so use a low nitrogen fertilizer.

WhiteRabbit · #6 10-18-2011, 11:07 PM

I have one mounted den-phal, so obviously that one grows fairly dry - drenched daily during warm months, but spritzed only most days in winter, with a couple drenchings a week maybe.

I have two small potted den-phals, both seem fine with remaining moist during warm/hot weather, but in winter I do allow them to dry out inbetween waterings.

They take a fair amount of light.
Mine are outside much of the year, taking occasional daytime high temps in summer near or just over 100 (tho in shade by midday), down to overnight lows around 50 (likely a bit lower) in fall. Indoors in winter, overnight low temps in low 50s, tho being on windowsills, probably a bit lower than that.

How do the roots look on your plant? What type of potting media?

Kaykay · #7 10-20-2011, 07:06 AM

thanks all for the suggestions. Yes, it did grow outside during the summer (not that it seemed to do much other than stabilise the decline)
The roots, that are there are OK. It's potted in course bark, but has been down-potted a few times since I've had it. I treat it much like a cattleya (ie let it go totally dry before watering again) and as much as my catts thrive, this one is still on the way south.
I just have a feeling that I'm just not a Den. person (however much I want to be able to grow them)
Keep the ideas coming though- you never know!
Kay
x

Merlyn · #8 10-20-2011, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Does yours have a tag? I have this same compact Den, and the tag reads Den Dang Yai. But another user said it is Den Chao Praya. This name actually brings up confirming pics in google, but I thought I'd ask what your tag says.

Yes, mine had a tag when I bought it. Den. White Bota but that name is not registered and can't be found anywhere. I just asked the vendor I got it from if she knew anything about it and she said it's probably just a clonal name. There are a lot of Asian vendors that will do that so you don't know who the parents are and can't remake the cross for your own monetary gain ! That's a common way of thinking to protect their "inventions" !!!

BTW, you have a SIMILAR Den because there's no way you can tell by looks that it's the same one !!! Too many thousands of crosses that could come out looking similar.

silken · #9 10-20-2011, 11:44 AM

My small den. that has mostly biggibum (I understand that's the same as a phal type) nearly died when I got it bare root 8 months ago. I put it in moss in a tiny clay pot and it hung on and is now in spike on the PB it grew. I'm not sure large bark is the best media for yours as they have quite fine roots. It's the only den. I have of this type so I am no expert, but mine seems happy.

keithrs · #10 10-20-2011, 11:54 AM

Are you giving it a winter rest? If it constantly growing because of no winter rest it will over exasperate itself to death. Water lightly about once a week while in rest. No fertilizer while in rest and bulbs will shrivel bit. Not to worry. After it flowers slowly increase water intel new growth starts. No fertilizer intel new growth starts. Feed the same as your catt.'s.

If you get species Den.'s you can purchase culture sheets from Baker & Baker(aka Troy Meyers) Very help full to know what to do.

Dendrobium Species Culture