You have a Dendrobium, but also looks like a Cattleya hybrid down there at the bottom. Hard to see. I suspect that is a single plant, not four. A closer look there would help.

They should be separated. It is always best to treat orchids as individuals. The pot size is yet to be determined.

You have a dendrobium. It was correct to cut the stem. On phalaenopsis, another type, some individuals will cut the spike halfway back to force it to bloom again, but it is not recommended if you plan to keep the plant long term. At any rate, this is not a technique for dendrobiums.

Dendrobiums like to be underpotted, so I'd leave it where it is until it starts to overgrow the pot. Leave all the new growths where there are. The tall part of the plant will not flower again, but it supplies energy to the smaller ones. Give it warmth and sun, but not direct overhead sun (midday). Be regular and attentive in your watering, but as you said, allow a little dryness around the roots. Just don't let them stay dry, especially now during growing season.

When the new growths mature, probably going into fall-winter, keep the plant a little dryer than you would ordinarily, but not so much that the stems (pseudobulbs) shrivel.

This plant will not bloom again until the new growths mature, at least several months, maybe not again until next year.

HTH

John

Hi smithjm,

Welcome to the world of orchids!

What you have there is a Dendrobium orchid. These are sympodial orchids, which basically means that it grows laterally, putting out a new growth when the old one is mature. Each of those growths is called a pseudobulb and, in the case of Dendrobiums, a cane. Flowers generally emerge from the most recent cane, but the other canes are there as water and nutrient storage organs, so leave them together.

Dendrobium is one of the largest families in the orchid world and has been separated into groups. Your Dendrobium belongs to the Phalaenopsis group, because its flowers look like Phalaenopsis (moth orchids). It needs bright light (some people in Florida put them outside), warmth and humidity to grow well and flower. From what I know about them, these orchids do not rebloom from old spikes, so you did the right thing to cut off the old one. Orchid flowers last a long time, but most orchids are not always in bloom. You will have to wait until the newest growth (looks like the growth on the right hand side of the picture is growing right now) has matured (gotten to the same size as the cane that has already flowered) to get more flowers.

If you want to repot, now would probably be a good time. Be sure to use a pot that is just one small size up, since the larger a pot, the longer it takes to dry out, which can lead to root rot. To repot, remove the plant from its current pot, removing whatever is loose of the old media and cutting off dead roots (stringy, hollow -- good roots are firm to the touch). Clean it up in the sink. Keep all the growths together. Hold the oldest (smallest) growth at the edge of the pot and then fill in with orchid media. I'll let someone else give you a recommendation as to which media to use, since conditions in Florida are much different than they are up here in Canada. Clay is a good idea, as they are heavier than plastic, which is good as these plants do get top heavy when blooming. Clay does dry faster, though, so be sure to keep up on your watering.

Have fun - as many of us here can attest, this is an addicting hobby, but oh so much fun.

Julie

I can tell you what it is, it's a dendrobium. A hard cane dendrobium. You should search the threads for info, or someone else can chime in. I don't do dends.
The clay vs. plastic is a personal preference thing. Clay is good because it breathes and dries a little more quickly. Plastic is good because it will hold water better so you don't have to water as often.
Keep the plant together. Don't divide it. It looks to me if you repot, just use the same pot with new medium.

I defer to Richard. I just glanced at the pic. It does look as if you've got more than one type of orchid going there. Gets a bit trickier now.

The dendrobium (tall one) is probably resting. Really not the best time to disturb it. I would leave it as is, and keep it on the dry side until you see new growth coming from the bottom of the dendrobium. If it is actively growing it will adapt better to being disturbed. Then if you want you can separate out the other orchid. (But leave any new growth attached to the old cane.) Both types of orchids you have in the pot do ok with dryness around the roots between waterings, so you won't necessarily lose the shorter one by waiting awhile to separate it.

John

You have a nice healthy dendrobium that doesn't look like it needs repotting. Is the potting material a cross cut of coconut? They really don't like having their roots disturbed. You did right cutting the spike, but do not divide until the pot is "overflowing". The old cane will produce new spikes and bloom along with the mature new growths, given enough light, warmth. air circulation. It can take more moisture and fertilizer while in its growth stage. Mine are all outside year round and some are in bloom at any time of the year. I really don't think you have another plant in with it. but my eyesight is not perfect.

Dendrobium, with new and old growths at the bottom...
This one will do well in Florida: just give it lots of light and plenty of warmth.

I would not repot, but I would take it out of the plastic pot and put it straight in the clay one. I grow all of mine either in open baskets or in clay pots.

Olya

Thank you all for your responses! I'll just leave it alone, I did check it today and 2 leaves turned yellow. I'm not sure why? I let it dry out before I water but when I water I soak it till water runs down the bottom, Is that ok? maybe I soaked it a little to much. As for the other little plants growing around it, I check them and they're attached to the big one so I think I'll just leave it alone since they seem to be doing really well. Is this one of the easiest orchids for beginners? or are they all the same to care for? I'm not looking for anything complicated since I have so many other plants I take care of. I'm looking for one that flowers more often and that likes to be under potted.

They are easy plants if you give plenty of light and don't overwater. The little growths will be the flowering growths in the fall/winter. Just let them grow big.

I'm with Richard and John there are at least two different kinds of orchid in that pot. Maybe the roots are entangled but there are two plants. No matter, Catt and Dend are similar enough that what would work for one would work for the other. As was said, plenty of light... but knowing that and supplying it... the two yellow leaves are not a good sign. Watering "a little too much" would not cause it. Where a plant is placed is probably the single most important item of culture that there can possibly be and that is the one thing that has not been determined.

H