dendrobiums and leaves

[cattlover]

So, it's okay if a den loses all its leaves? It isn't dead? It can still grow? I feel like all my dens are losing their leaves and I'm feeling like I'm doing everything wrong and not cut out for this orchid growing thing ...Somebody please have some encouraging words to say!

[uncasteeb]

Some Dens do lose their leaves normally but i don,t know which 1,s you grow.

[cattlover]

Some Dens do lose their leaves normally but i don,t know which 1,s you grow.

Den. Nanae Uniwai 'Beauty'
Den. Genting Blue
Den. Jacquelyn Concert x linnapa
Den. Elma White
Hawaiian Oracle x uniwai Royal '2'

[Jmoney]

I haven't grown dends in quite some time, but I used to have some den-phals and some of the antelope types. There were usually leaves on the past 1-2 growths, if I recall. Old leaves fall off quickly and can be disconcerting, if you don't know that it is normal. Those that re-bloom from old canes will do so from leafless canes. Presumably if the plant is healthy enough for that, the new growth supplies the bulk of the photosynthesis.

[dosal]

Hang in there even if your canes all lose their leaves. Eventually the plant will grow new growth be it keikis or new canes, IF the roots are in decent shape.
If those are goners and your canes still stay green you still have a chance though, IF you can keep the humidity level up. Once the canes shrivel, there isn't much hope for revival.

[Cinderella]

How shriveled before you give up? A little shriveled or totally? I have one that is a bit shriveled.

[dosal]

They have to be very shriveled and turning yellowish before I would give up. My mantra is as long as there is green there is hope.

[LJA]

If all the canes are yellow, leafless, shriveled, and twisted looking, the plant is dead. If only the oldest canes are yellow and shriveled, but the newest ones are still relatively "plump," and somewhat green, they might be leafless, but they can still put out new growth. Until new growth arrives, make sure you only water when the roots have completely dried off from the last time. More water than that won't make new growth appear faster, it'll just rot the roots.

If none of your dendrobiums have any green growth on them--if all of their canes are yellowing and shriveling, it's a culture problem: you're watering them too often and not giving them enough light. They shouldn't all be doing that. If it were me, the first thing I would do is unpot all of them to check roots...

[orchidaddict789]

If none of your dendrobiums have any green growth on them--if all of their canes are yellowing and shriveling, it's a culture problem: you're watering them too often and not giving them enough light. They shouldn't all be doing that. If it were me, the first thing I would do is unpot all of them to check roots...

Just what I was wondering. OK, got that into my brain !

You said, "if all of their canes are yellowing and shriveling". Well, there is an old cane on my dend that is green and extremely shriveled. The other canes are all fine. I checked its roots--OK. Maybe it's just too old...or I'm underwatering...

[LJA]

Lily, one old cane shriveling up is completely normal. All sympodial orchids will eventually lose their old growths--if they have pseudobulbs, those will lose their leaves first, and eventually, two or three years later, the old PBs themselves will just yellow and die. The only time you need to worry is when a growth that was healthy and green one day, *suddenly* goes yellow--pseudobulb and leaves at the same time--after a week. When that happens, the pb will often feel mushy, and it usually means that the roots which supported that pb have rotted and the plant can no longer sustain that growth. If left alone, the whole thing will just finally lose its stored fluid and shrivel up. More often than not, it's a sign that the plant was given too much water for the amount of light and air movement it was getting, and that can happen if it was potted in too large a pot, or in medium that didn't dry off fast enough between waterings, or if the grower watered too frequently.

But in your case, if the rest of the plant looks healthy and the roots are in good shape, you have nothing to worry about.