I am sorry to hear of the loss of your mother. That must be hard. Your wish to continue her legacy is well meant but I suggest you be practical about it and enlist the aid of someone talented in things green until your thumb grows in. If you look around this forum you will see all sorts of discussions in play. Some are about dends like yours and others are about other kinds, you did say you have 15... thing is, none of us answering on the questions came to this experience we have in less than a couple of years. It takes time to get it all together. Time your plants usually don't have. Key to this is: did you move the plants from where they were when your mother was caring for them? If so, you have brought a new variable into the equation which has to be taken into consideration. The dend I see in the picture is blooming yes but I wouldn't say it is the picture of Dendrobium health and beauty. Not all of that can be attributed to the transition. If you want to learn more then it will be necessary for you to post details of where the orchids are growing and how you take care of them. Good luck.

H

So sorry to hear about your mom. Although you think you have a black thumb, no such thing exists. You share a genetic link with your mom and you thumb will definitely green-up. I hope you have success with her plants and you have found the right place to ask for help.

You are correct, this plant is a dendrobium, a phal type, which is generally easy to grow in your climate. In the photo, it appears over-potted. It also appears to be in a dirt mix. This type of plant likes to be pot-bound and kept fairly dry. If you have repotted it, I would put it in a smaller pot with a loose orchid mix, such as bark.

This plant likes sun and can gradually be moved into almost full sun. But do it slowly or it will burn. This plant does not like to be kept wet, so water when dry or almost dry. When it finishes flowering, cut the stems off. It will begin to send up new canes in the early Spring which will flower in the fall. The old canes (hard stems) can also send out flower spikes.

Again, after it finishes flowering, I would repot this plant in a drier mix and smaller pot. If you can move it outside, it should do very well for you.

Good luck, and stop by with any further questions.

Jane

My mother died about 2 years ago. I am sorry to hear about you loss.

I was interested in what I got only a glimpse of, the pot and the mix. From what I could see, that looks like a pretty big pot and the medium appears to be potting soil. Have you re-potted the plant?

Not trying to offend, but especially if you are completely new to orchids, the "stems" Jane was refering to cutting are the stems [referred to as "spikes"] the flowers are coming off of. The "cane" is the much fatter growths from which the spikes have emerged. Those you do NOT cut.

I agree with the pot and potting mix concerns mentioned already.

Additional suggestions:
Read through the FAQ -- you'll find the link at the top setion of the orchid forum page.

Consider picking up a book on growing orchids [at Lowes, HD, bookstre, library, whereever]. This will give you some basic to start with and PICTURES of different types of orchids, their parts, and such.

Thank you all for your replies and condolences.

Here is a picture of the plant with the pot. I didn't repot it, this is what it was in when I took it from her house-she lived next door so I just walked it over.

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Here is a picture showing the soil:

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Jane-thank you for the encouragement. I want so much to be able to take care of these plants as a living reminder of my mother.

To answer a few specific questions that some of you had:
1)Did you move the plants from where they were when your mother was caring for them?
Just to bring them next door. She lived in the house next to us.

2)Have you re-potted the plant?
No, this was the original pot she had it in when I took it from her house.

I would hate to repot it because I'm worried it may not survive (plants have to have a strong will to live in my garden-lol) unless all of you think it really is in to big of a pot, then I will.

Also, any advice for the cooler weather coming soon? Although we're in Florida and don't get snow or freezing tempertures, we do get cold nights that go down to about 25 degrees in the winter.

Sorry if my post was confusing. The canes are the hard, woody growths (you do not cut.) The stems are the skinny stems the flowers are on (those you can cut after flowering.)

I guess you could leave it in this pot, but you need to be very careful about over-watering. Dens like to go dry between watering or their roots will rot. You must let the mix dry out between watering. Don't leave it outside if the temps go too low for a long period. I have family members who grow these plants outside all year in Florida.

Please, look for the book Paul mentioned Ortho's "All about Orchids" which is inexpensive and sold in all the big-box stores and Amazon. It will give you a lot of basic information on Orchids, which you need to learn.

What other orchids did your mother have? They have different requirements and the advice on this plant might not be the same for the others.

Jane

These were the only orchids she left....as far as I know. Nothing else has bloomed and they're all just green right now.

Thank you all for the advice. You've given me enough information to get started. I appreciate the advice on not overwatering because we're had heavy rain here for several days straight and it got a TON of rain so now I put it under a ledge to dry out for a while.

One last question for anyone who may know...direct or indirect sun and how much? Thanks again.

I'm going to take a look at the Barnes & Noble near us for that book.

Dendrobiums like high light. You can move it gradually (over the next few weeks) into more and more light. If you move it too quickly, the leaves will burn. You need to acclimate this plant to high light for it to grow and be healthy.

It should be in a smaller pot with free-draining mix. The mix it is in looks like soil with some bark. If the mix is kept damp, the plant will rot. I fear you will have to repot this plant eventually (after the flowers finish.)

Give it plenty of light, (not direct sunlight)with the intention of getting the plant into full-sun eventually, over winter. I grow these plants in full, all day sun.