Help! What's wrong with my dendrobium?

18 years ago

I got this plant about 3 years ago in bloom at a flower show. Since then it's bloomed 2 more times. It appears to be growing and producing new PBs, but now I'm getting no blooms and some yellowing leaves. Did I just have beginner's luck? This orchid is in a southeast exposure in my sunroom, surrounded by lots of other plants. I fertilize weakly about every 2 weeks and recently repotted it because it had filled up the old pot. Today it fell out of its pot as I lifted it up to check it. So I shot a picture of the roots and leaves for your professional opinions. Oh, and if anyone knows what's causing the round brown spots that become holes, that would be great!

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Comments (4)

arthurm
18 years ago
It wasn't beginners luck at all. Your conditions sound OK. Your problem is caused by the fact that your orchid is now overpotted. (in too big a pot)

Those warm growing hard cane dendrobiums must be tightly potted otherwise they get unhappy.

Yellow and dropping leaves on the very oldest pseudobulb say 4 to 6 back from the newest growth is an annual event.
jane__ny
18 years ago
I agree with Arthur. Plant looks fine, they lose their older leaves. It is over-potted, although I have some which are and do fine as long as the media dries out. Those are in a rock mix.

I would repot into a clay pot or move it into a smaller plastic pot. Also, these plants do not like their roots messed with. You don't need to check roots.

Jane
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vtandrea
Original Author
18 years ago
So those brown spots/holes are OK? I have no clue what caused them. I guess I like my plants to be perfect. Anyhow, I have put the den into a smaller clay pot & didn't water it because the roots were definitely damp already. And guess what? I found THREE spikes starting! Glad to know the yellow leaves aren't anything to be alarmed about, but I hate it when that happens.
ben_in_sofla
18 years ago
It looks to me that more important that the pot being a little too large, the plant was never attached to the pot. That is fairly normal when "orchid nurseries - brokers' buy blooming 3 inch blooming plants and pot them to 6 inch to sell the 6 inch potted plant and charge you more. More often than not, they do not give the plants time to establish themselves, as in waiting for the plant to put out new roots and attach to the media and pot.
Dendrobium are particularly fussy about being over potted and do not like to re potted. They actually prefer to be pot bound. I would take the plant and if the media in the pot is ok, I would place it back in the pot with the oldest bulb backed to the edge of the pot and new growth centered. Securing the plant to the pot is KEY, the plant must be firmly in place and ther should be no wiggle at all. Staking it alone will not do, you need rhizome clips and two should do fine. Then let the plant dry out and water sparingly until new roots emerge. Best of luck, it seems otherwise a nice and healthy plant.