Beginner pruning question

11 years ago

Hi!! I'm not a regular on this forum, but I need some help :) I've had this Orchid for 4 years, and it has bloomed regularly for me. I had it in Miami and stuck it on a nail in a tree where it lived happily with little or no help from me. Now we're in NC, and it isn't as happy. I spray it with fertilized water every now and then, probably not enough. Now it has what seems to be dead stalks. Should I just cut them off? Is there a bad way to prune? There is some new growth coming off of one of the stalks. Thanks for any suggestions!! Christy :)

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Comments (7)

auron22
11 years ago
The conditions of the room and basket combined seem iffy to me. Is the room dry and kept warm? The basket might be drying out too much too quickly. Perhaps old growth does not acclimate very well and had to put out new growth. Sorry I can't help, I can only speculate :( Don't make any moves on my account, I would wait till the more experienced orchid growers respond.
arthurm
11 years ago
You have a warm growing hard cane Dendrobium that would be happy in Miami, probably not so happy in NC.

I have many of them (in glass-houses) and never spray them. Give it a good watering and then let it dry out a bit before watering it again.

It should have a growing lead and some fully leafed canes (pseudobulbs) and then some bare canes that are still alive (they provide backup to the front growths and sometimes flowering spikes come from them).
Cut off any old canes that are dead.

Should grow during the warmer months and flower in the autumn.

Find some culture notes that are written for places in the USA with a climate similar to NC.
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jane__ny
11 years ago
Canes look shriveled. I would water it well, as advised above and don't water again until dry. Maybe stuff some sphag moss around inside the basket. The old roots look dried up. You probably don't have the humidity you had in Miami.

Jane
christy2828
Original Author
11 years ago
Okay, thanks :) It was inside in a sunny window but I just stuck it outside yesterday. It gets morning sun out there. We've been here for 2 years and have 2 more to go, so hopefully I'll be able to bring it back to Miami where it wants to be!! I've never repotted it, should I do that or just add more sphagnum moss? How can I tell if a cane is officially dead? No green growth, I assume. Thanks again :) Christy
arthurm
11 years ago
I am an expert on dead! Do not cut canes off just because they do not have leaves as i said above. They provide a food backup to the growing part of the plant and in some clones bloom spikes come from them
Pull the dead sheaths off and check if the cane is greenish and firm underneath. Dead canes are pretty obvious and the rhizome from that point going away from the leading growth is probably dead and should be cut at that point and removed.
Yes do a tidy up and remove any obviously dead roots.

You need to know when to put it outside and when to bring it inside as the seasons change that is why I suggested you find some local culture notes.

This post was edited by arthurm on Thu, Apr 25, 13 at 12:14
old_eagle
9 years ago
My wife has an orchid with two flower stalks that bloomed profusely after Mothers day 2014 and has since just begun putting out two new flower stalks.My question relates to the roots several of which are outside the container and growing wildly. Should the roots be pruned to force top growt or should they be ignored?
arthurm
9 years ago
Google Phalaenopsis. If the orchid is one of those it is normal for the roots to wander all over the place.
If your question doesn't relate to a Hard Cane Dendrobium it might be best to start a new thread.

This post was edited by arthurm on Wed, Jan 14, 15 at 14:13

Beginner pruning question

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