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Thread: Questions about my dendrobium orchid

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  1. #1
    My Grow Area
    On a Porch/Patio.
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    Oct 2009
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    Default Questions about my dendrobium orchid

    I've had my orchid over 2 years now but am still very much a noob. ___ I'd read somewhere to cut the stem after the blooms died so I did that - and it didn't bloom at ALL last year This year it sent up 2 stalks, one got about 2 inches long and something happened to the tip, it whithered and browned and never got any bigger or produced any flowers. The 2nd stalk made 5 flowers that lasted well over a month I have no idea what kind of orchid it is, I think from the reading I've been doing maybe a variety of dendrobium biggibum? Maybe?

    http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...ids-bloom.html
    Before mine started fading it looked a WHOLE lot like Raymond_Jesus 2nd pic in his thread here (the red/brown/green)

    If this helps any here is a little timeline of flowering this year:
    7/30/09 started flower stalk
    8/18/09 5 flowers buds formed - not opened
    10/18/09 1st of 5 flowers dropped
    10/19/09 2nd flower dropped

    So I've managed to keep an orchid alive 2 years! and flowered once! Whwohohoh! I have no idea what I'm doing, ahahhahaha. Do I cut the stem? where? do I stop watering? for how long? do I repot? when? If I cut the stem can they be rooted into new plants!?

    So far no roots are clambering out of the pot, though I have seen some peeking recently so I imagine it's getting snug in there. I only water with aged water drained from my fresh water fish tanks when I do water changes, I think it REALLY likes that. I gave up on the misting thing and instead keep it in a bowl full of water and slate so it's not sitting IN the water in cool weather. In the summer I had it outside in an open top terrarium with the pot nestled down in the dirt. Unfortunately I lost a couple of new leaves out there when a slug found it. I think it may have been a slug that damaged the tip of the other flower stalk

    Sorry for so many questions, I HAVE been reading and trying to do research on my own but with so many varieties and not knowing what I do have I'm not sure which set of directions to follow for best results.

    Any suggestions?


    As you can see "assorted dendrobium" isn't helpful


    Fading flowers are close to colour of wandering jew plant (purple), tho they were a bit more brownish red before.
    I put the small clay pot there for size reference, it's a 4 inch pot.


    Another flower pic


    2 small leaves on flower stalk, cut here?

  2. #2
    Real Name
    Ron
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    hi,
    could be biggibum, hard to tell from those wilted blooms.
    to answer a few questions,
    you can cut the spike (flower stalk) and leave an inch or so, it will not flower from that one again.
    so far your plant looks healthy, but i suggest to let it dry out sometimes, having it sitting in that water tray is not good, they also need some dry period, meaning once a week a good watering should be enough, in winter time less.

    i dont think it needs to be repotted, however, you can cut the new growth from the base and make sure there are roots attached to it, sometimes you can gently twist it.

    maybe others have advices too,

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
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    Saratoga Co. New York
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    Default

    cut as Ron has said...I don't grow these in moss...bark is better...needs to be well drained. It is most likely a hybrid in the Phalaenopsis Section of Dendrobium

    LIGHT: 3000-4500 fc. For cultivated plants, high light and strong air movement are vitally important year-round.

    TEMPERATURES: Summer days average 85-86F (29-30C), and nights average 72F (22C), with a diurnal range of 13-14F (7-8C). The diurnal range varies only 3F (2C) all year.

    HUMIDITY: Near 70-75% most of the year, dropping to 65-70% in late winter and spring.

    WATER: Cultivated plants should be kept moist while actively growing, but water should be gradually reduced in autumn. Australian growers recommend a daily morning misting in summer, even for pot-grown plants, with evening mistings also given when temperatures are above 91F (33C).

    FERTILIZER: 1/4-1/2 recommended strength, applied weekly. A high nitrogen fertilizer is beneficial from spring to midsummer, while a fertilizer high in phosphates should be used in late summer and autumn.

    REST PERIOD: Winter days average 76-79F (24-26C), and nights average 63-67F (17-19C), with a diurnal range of 12-13F (7C). For 4 months in winter and spring, rainfall is low. The low humidity indicates that even moisture from dew is uncommon. In cultivation, the dry rest should be started after flowering. Plants should be allowed to dry out between waterings, but they should not remain completely dry for extend periods because they are very slow to recover if allowed to shrivel. Occasional early morning mistings between waterings may help keep plants from becoming too dry. After new growth is evident in spring, water should be gradually increased. Because new growths are very susceptible to infection and rot, care must be taken to keep water off them until they are 2-3 in. (5-8 cm) tall. Fertilizer should be eliminated or greatly reduced until watering is increased in spring. In the habitat, light is highest in winter, so as much light as possible, short of burning the foliage, should be provided for cultivated plants.

    GROWING MEDIA: When plants are potted, excellent drainage in necessary, so a very open and fast draining medium, such as medium cork nuggets or fir bark, should be used. Plants tend to be top heavy, so heavier clay pots are usually preferred. A pot that appears to be too small for the plant usually produces better results. Staking the plant helps support new canes. Repotting is best done when flowering is completed or just as new growth starts in late winter or early spring.

  4. #4
    My Grow Area
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    1st year I didn't cut the stalk until it was dried out completely. Not sure if this had anything to do with it not flowering last year. I'm thinking it may have been environmental tho, not enough humidity maybe?

    It's not sitting in water, water is in the bowl for humidity but it's sitting on pieces of slate above the water.

    Thanks Ron for posting!!! Did you mean to cut new growth with roots to try to make another plant? Not sure at all what you mean by twisting it.

  5. #5
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    I'm content with it being "mystery orchid" LOL. Is there any guideline I should be following for repotting? wait til it gets REAL rooty (I know they like being rootbound) or do either of you think it's due some fresh rooting chunks by now?

  6. #6
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    Default

    Sheba I added to my post with cultural info for you

  7. #7
    Real Name
    Danny
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    er...All of them?
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    Default

    What kind of medium is that? I keep my dend in bark. That looks like a sageretia tree you have next to it? Or something similar at least lol

  8. #8
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    *surprised* well I'd assumed it was in bark or charcoal or hunks of wood with just a covering of moss but apparently the whole pot is full of moss! Also digging around I found about 1/2 way down a plastic tag labled "Dendrobium Samphan Brown 41-06' #28"

  9. #9
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    decided to google name...lol...seems like you are not the only member here with this one
    http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...-question.html

  10. #10
    Real Name
    Rosalía
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    cats, oncidium and slippers
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    hi Sheba, I hope you can use all the hints and directions posted previously and feel more confident now which direction to follow.

    I have nothing to add on the cultivation, I agree to what was already exposed, but i'd like to tell you that I liked seeing your annotation of each moment of your flowers..... also I do regular annotations and think that for beginners, as I am, this is a good source to know the orchid you have and to be able to cultivate it better.
    Good luck.

    good you found out the real name of it.
    It helps a lot on looking for right informations to grow them

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