Dendrobium phalaenopsis repotting

16 years ago

I just recently purchased a Dendrobium phalaenopsis type from a big box store that was past blooming. This is my first dend. The plant is in need of repotting but I am unsure of when dends do most of their growing. Do they have a specific growth period or do they grow all year round? Would I be doing more harm than good if I repotted now? Also I was hoping to repot it into S/H should I wait with this?

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Comments (7)

xmpraedicta
16 years ago
Hello~
Dend 'phal type' (dendrobium bigibbum I'm pretty sure) doesn't usually have a rest period although sometimes one is induced in the winter for us growers in the northern zones and our inability to supply year-long high levels of light and humidity. What do you mean when you say it is in need of repotting? Dends like to be pretty tight in their pots.

You probably don't want to repot until you see new growth, and for me (also in zone6) dends usually start new growths in spring, completing in fall and blooming in winter. Especially since you're considering S/H, I would definitely wait.
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lwowk
Original Author
16 years ago
The dend is potted in what looks to possibly be a single piece of coconut? (not positive about that) parts of it are firm to the touch but other parts of the medium is getting slightly mushy in places indicating that it is breaking down. I am worried about the effect this may have on the roots. The plant itself looks healthy and I can see nice green root tips on several of the roots. I am not very familiar with the medium it is potted in and am not sure how much it will compact down as it deteriorates nor how much extra moisture it will retain.
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If this is a mass produced orchid which is a copy (mericlone) someone may be able to give you a name. But if it is a seedling (produced from orchid seed) it will remain Dendrobium Unknown. Not that it matters all that much unless you want to breed with the plant or put it up for an American Orchid Society award. There are thousands of seeds in an orchid seed pod and each seedling if grown to maturity will be different ( that is assuming your plant is a hybrid). Someone may say that your plant looks like or is similar to. "Looks like " doesn't count in naming stakes.
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If it is a D speciosum hybrid, which it well may be, you need to handle it differently. They can take full sun, but you need to adjust them to it gradually. Since this is fall and you live in an apartment, I would give it max light you can find. Just keep your eye on the leaves in case they do burn, if its a specisosum varient it won't. Depending on which speciosum is in the parentage you might wait for flowers a long time as some of them need to get large before they finally bloom. They will not bloom on the new cane, only on old canes. If you grew new canes this Spring or Summer, they will not bloom next spring, the following spring maybe. Many of these types plant need to be chilled in the winter in order to bloom in the spring. Mine are outside and 2 years ago got down to 23F to 25F without damage. By keeping it warm in your apartment you preclude a spring bloom, put it outside and let it get cold. I think repotting is of minor importance, they are epiphytes/lithophytes in nature and will grow anywhere. I would repot it in the spring and use rock. Make sure the rocks are large enough to allow air movement between them. Fred Clark in Vista, 'Sunset Orchids' I believe, sells a perfect Australian diatomite mix. If you can't find him let me know and I will give you his handle. If you can water it daily, mine do best mounted but that's a different story. Sine D speciosums are expensive and usually not found at Trader Joe's, its probably a Delicatum or other hybrid and only some of what I said applies to the degree that speciosum is in the parentage. I still think the advice applies. Good luck, Nick
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Yes, most of those aerial roots are dead. Hard to give advice without knowing anything about potting materials available there. Here is about the same latitude South and most orchid society members do not grow Phalaenopsis, why bother, when there are many orchids you can grow outside in the yard with a bit of shade-cloth for cover. If you decide to continuing using spag, you have to match your watering routine and temperatures to that medium. Looking at the caspar milktoasts in this room, they have lots of aerial roots that are alive, so why are most of the aerial roots dead on your plants? Do you have a temperature/humidity gadget? added via edit. A florist, told me that she tells customers to water Phalaenopsis once a month and that might be on the money seeing how much water spag holds. For now, enlarge drainage holes and reduce watering. Seek advice from local orchid societies re. optimum medium for Phals there. Cut the spent flowering spikes off at the base. Given good growing conditions you will get new spikes late next autumn. In a different better draining medium I water about once a week in winter and maybe twice a week in summer.
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howard_a
16 years ago
Calvin's assessment about sums it up. Coconut potting going off or not isn't by itself sufficient incentive to want to get busy with repotting yet. I don't detect any concern yet with the all important issues of culture and care of the dend. They are quite deceptively demanding in a way that seems to escape most of us.

H
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sunita
16 years ago
Are you sure its a single piece of coconut and not slabs of coconut husk tied together? Here in India many growers use coconut husk (minus the nut )to grow orchids. Its a great medium and works well for most growers, especially in tropical conditions. You have to be careful about the watering though, since it tends to retain water longer.
If you're seeing healthy roots with green tips, then I think the plant is not really hassled by the coconut husk and you dont need to repot only on that basis.
My dends (not in tied coconut husk slabs, though )have gone for years and years without being repotted until they are practically hanging out of the pot. And they're doing great. So... maybe your plant could be left as it is for some more time?
Now if you're still set on repotting the dend, I'd suggest you soak the coconut husk in a bucket of water for maybe 15 minutes and you can pull apart the husk more easily with least damage to your dend's roots.
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lwowk
Original Author
16 years ago
I am not very set on repotting at this time. I was just concerned about the medium breaking down. The plant otherwise appears to be happy and healthy. My concern is with keeping it that way. My biggest question was when the most growth takes place in this type of plant so that I know when it is a best to repot and so that I can get supplies ahead of time.
Thanks for your help.

Larissa
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jane__ny
16 years ago
It's probably a den/phal and would start making new growth in early Spring (in your zone.) If it needs repotting, that would be the best time to do it.
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lwowk
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Jane that's what I needed to know.!

Larissa
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Dendrobium phalaenopsis repotting

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Dendrobium phalaenopsis repotting

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