Dendrobium Dying?

[fiestysushi]

I have what i think is a dendrobium, which got a big shock a few months ago when an indoor helicopter crashed into it, chopping up its leaves so badly they ended up dropping off. I have been trying to nurse it back to health since, it had been about 3 years since its last potting so i got it repotted at my local nursery as part of the process. Shortly after its repotting, one of my about 6 stalks started drooping, and the end where the flower stalk had but cut away years ago blackened. I pulled the medium away from the roots a bit to take a look, and a number of them were a really dark grey color, so i felt under the bulb and there was a wad of the old moss it had been origionally potted with wadded right in the center, damp as could be, and it hadnt been watered in a week or more. So i removed it and tried to fill in the mulch-like medium as gently as possible to fill the hole. I did not remove the roots, leaving about an inch exposed to the air, and within a matter of a few days most of the roots lightened to a light grey, so i didnt remove them. But my other stalks are now starting to fade from a healthy firm green to a milky brown, and softening. My largest stalk has a "wet spot" on one of its upper "knuckles?" so i am worried i got a fungus or some such. I would always use my leaves to judge when it needed a water (or once a month), so now that i have no leaves to judge by i dont know if I am watering enough, I have been trying so hard not to overwater im hoping im not underwatering. I only watered it once since the repotting a lil over a month ago. I have had it 6 years, and it has a lot of sentimental value to me, and i fear i have waited too long to post to save it... Any suggestions?

[angela]

So sorry to hear of your problems with this Den. Is it possible to post a picture so we may better be able to see the condition of the canes. Also is this plant getting enough moderate/shaded sun? where are you growing it? and what is your location? so we will know your climatic conditions.
I am sure if we had this information someone, or many, on the Forum will offer suggestion for saving your Plant.
Good Luck.

[ryanskarma]

Its always worthwhile if possible to post pics with orchid problems. I have found that when I post pics with my problems I get much quicker solutions. If it looks anything like these pictures than it probably is an infection. This is pseudomonas infection on my encyclia. I know they're different plant species but the infection would look similar regardless of the species. From the sounds of it you may have been either overwatering or there might have been some decayed moss that was damaging your root systems. This link is very helpful in diagnosing potential orchid pathogens Orchid Diseases Good luck, hope this helps

[fiestysushi]

I am having a heck of a time getting the pics to cooperate, have to take them on my phone, and it's not loading properly from my email after that, I shall try again tonight! I saw a little white/blue mold on a couple of the roots, tried to get them into better light. It was in very poor light before, i had moved it to our bedroom to avoid the "flight path" of his helicopter, and we have very heavy curtains and a "day sleeper" due to his work. So i brought it to the living room, banished the chopper, and crossed my fingers. Hopefully i will have pics tonight.

[fiestysushi]

notice the black tip on the stem to the bottom right, that was the first guy to go, now they're all soggy and beige brown instead of hard and light green. The one on the top left is now just drooping limply over the side of the pot. We live in a very poor location for plants unfortunately, only 2 windows (no direct sun at all, under oak trees) in the apartment, and cheap windows give us a constant battle with mold. =( I was given a second Den recently, which just put out 2 new shoots and a new bud stem, but that's failing already too! It looks like the old bud stem was just broken off raw, i didnt know if i should put cinnamon on it at this late date or leave it be.



I have has it about 3 weeks, watered it twice, it has that moss that seems to stay moist for weeks in it, and i have killed every phal i have ever had in this moss stuff by over watering i think. So i may be under watering...?

[Ron-NY]

don't worry about the old dead spike. Sounds like you don't have the light requirements for these Dendrobiums.
Soggy and brown instead of hard and light green does not sound good.

[fiestysushi]

It all happened pretty quickly, relatively speaking, for 5 years it was a hearty many stalked orchid with about 12 healthy leaves. It only budded three times, but i had it in a large pot and didnt go through any extra steps in an attempt to make it, i just let it happen naturally if it would. Then after the shock of getting its leaves torn up it started failing for about 2 months, perked up a bit, I repotted it into a more appropriate pot and mix, and within another 2 months is has taken a nose dive, Ive got it in the sunniest point in the house that at least gets some indirect sunlight for a few hours.