I'm thinking mealy bugs. I'd go to your local garden center and pick up a mealy bug killer. Bonide makes one. Follow the directions. They can be a real mother to get rid of. I threw out some Oncidiums a few years ago that go infected badly. Corrections welcomed!

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

Phalenopsis are very easy to grow in indirect light. They are the shade lovers of orchids. You would need to make sure that they get very filtered light under your magnolia. They should be considered like a redhead with freckles at the beach -- they burn easily. They would probably be better in pots as they prefer more moisture than some orchids and would dry out pretty quickly in a basket. When you water you need to be sure you don't leave water in the crown of the plant as it can rot overnight. In Florida you should protect your orchids and take them inside if you don't have a greenhouse when it gets cooler than 50 degrees. They do like moisture but don't keep them soaking wet. If you stick your finger into the media and it comes out wet don't water. You just want to keep it wet. As far as fertilizer you would probable do well with a timed-released fertilizer like Dynamite or Nutricote. It comes in little pellets and is good for new growers as it will keep you from overfertilizing. Hope this helps. Orchids are very addicting. You may want to join your local orchid society and they are fun and a great way to learn. Pat Here is a link that might be useful: GOOS

Ginger, You need to go to the American Orchid Society Web Site and find their culture sheets for Nobile type Dendrobiums. There are other web sites that also offer detailed culture instructions for these plants. Nobile Den's. grow a bit differently from other orchids, and you will have to conform to their wants and needs to get them to bloom. First, be absolutely sure you are rid of the scale. Scale suck the juices out of the plant, and are difficult to get rid of because most contact insecticides can't get through the scale to the bug. The scale is probably not what caused the leaves to drop.....That happens to the leaves every year. Next, any of the old canes on your plant that are shriveled, and DEAD, can be removed. Sharp sterile blade, and cut them off at the base. Be sure they are completely dead, because the old canes are storing nutrients for the plant as long as they remain alive. Now, growing the thing.....In the spring when new growth starts at the base of the plant...(Nobiles are prone to producing Keikis on old canes, and that's ok. Leave them on and let them bloom then remove them and pot up as new plants.....you need to really grow the plant. Lots of sunlight, water, and 30-10-10 fertilizer. You want those new growths to really grow big and healthy. In the early fall, the leaves will begin to yellow, and fall off the plant...normal..... At this time you should stop feeding the high Nitrogen fertilizer...use 10-10-10, or just stop fertilizing until spring growth starts again. If you are not growing the plant outside, it would be best take it outside in the fall. Let the plant stay outside until it experiences several nights of very cool temperatures....even a light frost won't hurt. When the weather gets too cold, bring the plant in and enjoy the blooms. When the blooms fade, reduce the amount of water you give the plant until new growth starts in the spring, then go back to the heavy feeding/growing of the plant. Once a cane blooms, its not going to ever bloom again. All leaves fall off in the winter. Bill