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Hi there! I think there might be something wrong with my orchid. One of the flowers (the oldest) started to turn like yellow and dried without even open and I think it fell off (is not longer in the flower spike). What could have happened? The rest of the flowers are OK for the moment (they have not opened yet).
Last edited by harvester2015; January 26th, 2017 at 07:14 PM.
I suspect dehydration for some reason. Can you take a picture of a couple of the larger buds and perhaps the pseudo bulb they are on?
a single keiki of one of the D.nobile hybrids ( which in my experience are freer with keikis than others) potted in coarse Perlite, stood in ½ inch of water - which is what is usually called semi-hydroponic, or S/H , usually flowers within the first year, in my greenhouse. D.kingianum , which is a quite different type, takes a little longer, but not much.
I use plastic pots for these - clay pots would evaporate too much water and I should for ever be topping up !
I think your plants is one of the phalaenopsis type Dendrobiums, derived from D.bigibbum of affine for example . I don't find them very free with keikis, but they do grow well in S/H. In my cold northern temperate country with dark short days in the winter, I get good flowering by using supplementary lighting but have not yet got spikes very long - a dozen flowers is about my best ( although some quite short canes - less than 8 inches - may have several spikes at once). In Thailand I have seen spikes 75cm long with 30 or 40 flowers - something to aim at ! But they need or at least enjoy, quite warm temperatures to grow well - at least as warm, probably warmer, than most cattleyas. In Thailand they grow the with the big strap-leaved Vandas, but the Vandas are under 50% shade cloth, and the dendrobes are outside the shaded area.
Like your staking method! Everything looks fine to me. This does appear to be a Phal type Den. as Geoff said. They don't need as much sun as Cattleya so that might do it. Could be it was damaged somehow?