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lisetteruiz

Dry Dendrobium

15 years ago

Hi there :)

I just came back from my honeymoon in Hawaii, and as a souvenier, we brought back an adorable dendrobium orchid with the name Lucky Angel "smash". It's my first orchid.

I've repotted it, and it's doing really well. The thing is, I have it by a window indoors, and from my understanding, I should water it about once a week and allow it to almost dry out, but it seems to be completely dried out two days after watering. Is this normal for an indoor orchid? Should I keep to the once a week watering? Or is it a better idea to go by feeling the roots?

Thanks!

Comments (6)

  • 15 years ago

    Well, if it's getting a LOT of sun, and if your home humidity runs under 40% regularly, I might water twice a week, but frankly, I generally water only one each week, and my home humidity is generally around 55%. We have a little digital weather monitor that shows us the humidity in the room, and I would wager that it's usually a little higher around the plants.

    If you only have one plant, then it has no neighbors exhaling water vapor it can enjoy. I'd suggest maybe picking up a hygrometer (maybe a cheap one made for reptile tanks) and sticking it near your plant. If your plant's cane (the stalk that hosts the leaves and flowers) is shriveling, increase your watering and humidity. If it remains plump, relax, and keep doing whatever you're doing.

    If you have a spray bottle, you can still water once a week, and spritz it daily in the morning. You'll want to fertilize, but I don't want to overwhelm you with information, and I'm sure you can find out about fertilizer in old threads and such. Everyone has their favorite, etc...

    Good Luck!

  • 15 years ago

    You have a hybrid nobile type Dendrobium (a so-called Yamamoto type in the USA) that needs to be drier in winter than summer. Summer being the growing season.

    Suggest you try and find some complete cultivation notes relating to where you live but note that maybe you have an outside all year orchid in South Florida.

    Here, NSW Australia, they are certainly outside all year in the garden or in a shade-house.

  • 15 years ago

    Congrats on your honeymoon!
    Now get that orchid outside. You live in the semi-tropics that orchids love. Are you in a condo? have a balcony? In a house? You can hang the pot from a tree. Hang it and forget it in the rainy season. Orchids are not indoor A/C plants in S. Florida. Too dry. There are a lot of S. Fla Orchid Societies around that could answer in more detail concerning light and medium but try to find your Den a nice outside place.

  • 15 years ago

    I agree; nearly all orchids do better out of doors if at all possible. Remember, however, that the Floridan climate is not identical to SE Asia where these Dends mostly come from; the principal difference being that winters there tend to be very dry, though they are both very wet in summer.

  • 15 years ago

    I have a group of these nobile or soft cane dens from Yamamotos breeding. Check the link below..picture of yours is there.

    http://www.yamamotodendrobiums.com/html/retail_plants.html

    He has care instructions.

    Anything 100 miles or so south of Tampa should allow outdoor growing. (I lived in Tampa for 30 years and orchids need protection there in the winter)

    Here in Mexico I'm now growing them outside, year round,
    on the east side of my catt house. All on hangers. I water every other day but it depends on the potting medium.
    You want good drainage

  • 15 years ago

    It sounds like you aren't watering your orchid enough when you do water. Water it long and deep. Some people take their orchids to the sink and let water run through for ten minutes. Others set the pot in water for an hour or so, then let it drain. Once it's watered THOROUGHLY you can let it dry out slowly.

    When you repotted it, did you soak the bark for an hour or more before using it? Bark has an extremely dry core and if it isn't wetted first, it will stay dry and just continue to shed water.

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