A friend bought me (unknowingly) a Lowes Dendrobium Orchid. It didn't have
a sticker and it hasn't bloomed, so I have no specific info. Despite the
fact it was a Lowes orchid I decided to try and raise it, rather than pitch
it.
After I examined it's roots I was pretty sure I had made a mistake
(Euphemism). ALL of the roots were brownish-white and dry. I thought it
was just a matter of time. But it's been four or five months now and it has
just started to lose leaves. I've heard that Dendros are deciduous and it
is autumn. Aside from that, I know less than nothing about Dendo's. Is it
normal that it's losing leaves or is just the state of this particular
plant? If it is normal, what else can I expect?

DW

DexterWard wrote:

A friend bought me (unknowingly) a Lowes Dendrobium Orchid. It didn't have
a sticker and it hasn't bloomed, so I have no specific info. Despite the
fact it was a Lowes orchid I decided to try and raise it, rather than pitch
it.
After I examined it's roots I was pretty sure I had made a mistake
(Euphemism). ALL of the roots were brownish-white and dry. I thought it
was just a matter of time. But it's been four or five months now and it has
just started to lose leaves. I've heard that Dendros are deciduous and it
is autumn. Aside from that, I know less than nothing about Dendo's. Is it
normal that it's losing leaves or is just the state of this particular
plant? If it is normal, what else can I expec


You wouldn't be the first, and unfortunately not the last, to fail
to rescue a plant from one of those big box stores. They are sold as
'pot plants', which means the grower and seller have both decided that
the business model is that the customer will throw the plant away after
it is done blooming, and they will sell them cheaply enough that the
customer comes back and buys a replacement. Cheap does not always equal
good, but you can find some pretty nice stuff at these stores. If you
get to the plants before the worker robots have 'nurtured' them too
long, you can often get healthy plants that will live for many years.

If it is from Lowes, it is probably not a deciduous type
dendrobium. I haven't seen many of those for sale at any big box
store. There are a wide variety of types of dendrobium, but you are
likely to have a 'phalaenopsis type' dendrobium. They aren't
deciduous. They bloom near the top of the cane, on one (or sometimes a
few) fairly long inflorescences. A deciduous (or 'nobile type')
dendrobium would tend to bloom on very short inflorescences, with many
of these up and down the cane. Perhaps you can tell what kind you have
if you can find any evidence of old bloom spikes... Phalaenopsis type
dendrobiums are one of the most common types of orchid sold at the big
box store, usually white, purple, or some combination of both.

Anyway, it isn't that unusual to lose a few leaves, but you would
expect a new growth (or several) to come up to replace the older ones.
If that isn't happening, then probably something is wrong. Roots firm
and dry is not a bad thing. Roots soft and mushy is very bad. You may
have seen the very dry roots, and started throwing too much water at
it. This would be a 'mistake' to use your euphemism... If it isn't
drying out between waterings, you are watering too much. You can
indeed water too little, but it is substantially harder to do.

In general, a phalaenopsis type dendrobium would appreciate fairly
bright light (but not much direct sun), relatively warm temperatures,
and water and fertilizer throughout the year. They do really well in
Hawaii, if that helps. If you do indeed have a nobile type dendrobium,
then stop watering it, let it lose all its leaves, and don't start
watering again until after the flower buds are fully developed. You can
mist it a little if you feel sorry for it...Dendrobiums in generally are
incredibly tolerant of poor culture, and often will rebound quite nicely
after extended periods of neglect.



--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )

I have been watering about twice a week once with a mild fertilizer at the
begining of the week and then with filtered water at the end. It's
possible, seeing as I am unfamiliar with the culture of dendros, that the
watering is too frequent. I'll go out on a limb and say that this is
probably not a nobile type. I've checked Lowes to see the group of Dendros
from which mine was selected, or possibly to find some identification. I
didn't find any, but the ones that were in bloom were exactly as you've
described, purple and white.

Well, I thank you. I guess this plant will either live or it won't. I
simply will have to tell friends and family not to buy me Lowes or Home
Depot Orchids.

Thanks,
DW

DexterWard wrote:

I have been watering about twice a week once with a mild fertilizer at the
begining of the week and then with filtered water at the end. It's
possible, seeing as I am unfamiliar with the culture of dendros, that the
watering is too frequent. I'll go out on a limb and say that this is
probably not a nobile type. I've checked Lowes to see the group of Dendros
from which mine was selected, or possibly to find some identification. I
didn't find any, but the ones that were in bloom were exactly as you've
described, purple and white.



Twice a week is probably too frequent. Check by sticking your
finger (or a sharpened pencil) about an inch into the potting mix. If
it is still damp, you should wait. Eventually you will be able to tell
by the weight of the pot.

Well, I thank you. I guess this plant will either live or it won't. I
simply will have to tell friends and family not to buy me Lowes or Home
Depot Orchids.


I wouldn't go that far... Plenty of good plants there. Just see if
you can educate them to buy happy healthy looking plants with tags.

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )

DexterWard wrote:

I have been watering about twice a week once with a mild fertilizer at the
begining of the week and then with filtered water at the end. It's
possible, seeing as I am unfamiliar with the culture of dendros, that the
watering is too frequent. I'll go out on a limb and say that this is
probably not a nobile type. I've checked Lowes to see the group of Dendros
from which mine was selected, or possibly to find some identification. I
didn't find any, but the ones that were in bloom were exactly as you've
described, purple and white.



Twice a week is probably too frequent. Check by sticking your
finger (or a sharpened pencil) about an inch into the potting mix. If
it is still damp, you should wait. Eventually you will be able to tell
by the weight of the pot.

Well, I thank you. I guess this plant will either live or it won't. I
simply will have to tell friends and family not to buy me Lowes or Home
Depot Orchids.


I wouldn't go that far... Plenty of good plants there. Just see if
you can educate them to buy happy healthy looking plants with tags.

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )

Dexter,

Yes, I would tend to agree with Rob regarding cutting down on water -- probably
once a week; that is -- if you are in the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, it
is normal for many dendrobiums to lose leaves as well as flower on leafless
canes, and unless the canes go mushy the plant will in time produce new growth
as the culture improves.

.. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rob Halgren wrote:

DexterWard wrote:

I have been watering about twice a week once with a mild fertilizer at the
begining of the week and then with filtered water at the end. It's
possible, seeing as I am unfamiliar with the culture of dendros, that the
watering is too frequent. I'll go out on a limb and say that this is
probably not a nobile type. I've checked Lowes to see the group of Dendros
from which mine was selected, or possibly to find some identification. I
didn't find any, but the ones that were in bloom were exactly as you've
described, purple and white.



Twice a week is probably too frequent. Check by sticking your
finger (or a sharpened pencil) about an inch into the potting mix. If
it is still damp, you should wait. Eventually you will be able to tell
by the weight of the pot.

Well, I thank you. I guess this plant will either live or it won't. I
simply will have to tell friends and family not to buy me Lowes or Home
Depot Orchids.


I wouldn't go that far... Plenty of good plants there. Just see if
you can educate them to buy happy healthy looking plants with tags.

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )