Trying to save a dendrobium

[talyce66]

I have bad luck with most of my dendrobiums. I bought a few from a woman who used spagnum moss for a medium, which I think is a no-no for them since they like to dry out. I've been toying with the idea of mounting to trees, and thought of doing so with the ones that just wont dry out. I've been told to mount them upside down. Any input?

[Ross]

Don't quote me, but some pendulous Dendros should do just fine mounted on trees. They will end up upside down because of the way they grow. Others, though may not like it and may just grow weird as they try to make the canes upright. If you want a beautiful Dendro (fragrant) that will grow down your way on a tree try D. anosmum. Here's a couple photos I took a while back of mine

[talyce66]

Well, I gotta do something, because they just dont seem to dry out. Sometimes I will find one with a cane bent over, which I assume is from being too wet.

[Undergrounder]

You got them in a coarse bark mix? or even blocks of styrophoam? I put styro chunks in with coarse bark for my hardcanes.

[talyce66]

I generally like the bark mix. Don't ask why, but I always pick out the styrophome. I guess its because I like more natural settings. My healthiest dendrobium is growing in a home made oak potter that my husband cut from a tree and burrowed out the hole with a chainsaw (Do not try this at home). However, some of the others have spagnum moss because I bought them that way. I just added bark and took out some of the moss. Out of habit, I fertilize weekly, and they just dont seem to dry out. That is the only time they get water. Could this be causing the canes to go soft and fall over?

[Undergrounder]

So they're softcane Dendrobiums? They'll naturally flop over unless they're staked. Have a look where they're flopping over and check if the cane is dark and/or mushy, in which case it could be too much water and/or a fungal infection.

Do you give them a winter rest from watering?

[talyce66]

I believe they are hard cane. The canes are thick. Living in Central Florida where it seldom gets below 40 degrees, I generally treat all orchids equally and fertilize once a week. That is the only time I directly water my dends. I am thinking about moving them into the sunroom, where it is dry. That is if I can arrange a space out of the mess. I also have thoughts of mounting a few.