Leafless rootless dendrobium

[Orchidanu]

Hi all,


I'm fairly new to orchid growing but I must say I am addicted to my babies. I currently own a small collection of ten that I grow on my balcony. Living in the Caribbean I find it's quite difficult to find advice online from persons living in a similar climate - I hope to find some here. I look forward to learning from all of you and sharing any knowledge or experiences I may have.

I was gifted a lovely den phal in February and I'm afraid it's at death's door. She started dropping her leaves which prompted me to unpot. The roots were mushy and soggy - rotted. So currently she has no leaves and no root system; just two bare canes. The canes are nice and thick though and I am thinking they may be able to provide enough sustenance to the plant so it can put out some new growth.

Just before she dropped her last two leaves she started pushing out a new shoot. Sadly she was attacked by springtails which ate the new growth. I sprayed with need oil and I'm happy that I haven't seen any damage since. Is there anyway to save this orchid? Some good detailed advice would be so much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Chris in Hamilton]

Welcome from Ontario, Canada Orchidanu! Very sorry I missed your introductory post. Sometimes they get pushed off the page when a someone starts a lot of threads at the same time. Regarding your Dendrobium, if it were mine I would put some type of rooting hormone on the base of the pseudobulbs then place it in a shady but well lit spot. Give the base a light misting every couple of days. With any luck new roots should start to appear within a few weeks. When they do you can stand it in a small pot (3") of medium with some medium. Be sure to stake it in some way to prevent its falling over. Keep in mind that Dendrobium do not like to be over potted.