New to these lovely creatures

[Miss_Megan]

Im new to orchids really and I have a gorgeous dendrobium but i think its in trouble. I brought it about six weeks ago and it has two stems, on one of the stems about six of the flowers were open. Since then the flowers on the other stem have opened, so i now have about a dozen lovely pale green flowers with burgundy throats.

However all is not rosey, in the six weeks I have had it I have only watered it about it twice as 4 leaves have turned pale green/white then brown then fallen off-this is due to over watering isn't it? This is why I have not watered it so much, and as I type this now another leave is turning pale green. I fear my plant is slowly dieing. I did just read in a forum that this species of plant need a 'rest' period until April, should I even be watering it at all. Is the damage already done?

Also although all my flowers have opened alot of them are only half open and half been so for a month or so- is this normal? Any advice anyone can give me would be great, thanks.

[dr_frnkblck]

Welcome! How do you water the plant? Do you water with from above with a watering can or the like? Do you soak the plant in a bucket? Only watering twice in 6 weeks seems like you might be under watering to me. Also what medium is it planted in?

[Miss_Megan]

I half fill a sink with tepid water and put the pot in the sink for a few minutes then put the pot on the side, so the excess can drain away. It does sound like underwatering but when the leaves started to turn yellow I thought it was acting over watered so I backed off on watering. It planted in a grey plastic pot in bark type soil, not sure if it has a proper name?

[CharliesAngel51]

Welcome to the forum Miss Megan.
When you have made 5 posts you can post pictures. That would really help us to see what your problem is. What type of Den do you have? Are the blooms on a spike that is coming out of the top or are they along the cane? I'm guessing that you are underwatering. I have a phal type Den planted in a coarse bark mix and I soak it once a week in a bucket for about 20 minutes. There is a post that tells you about using the skewer method to tell how moist your mix is. I don't know how to send a link to it. Maybe someone else will send it for you. I have found this to be very useful in knowing when to water.
Again welcome and good luck .

[Miss_Megan]

It would be good to get some pics up and then you can see properly what's going on. I'm afraid I'm not sure what type I have but the flowers are on a short spike that comes out of the top of the cane.

[patticake]

Miss_Megan! As the others have stated, a photo would be helpful! Just post a few more times, and then you can post a picture! It's good to have you with us!

[Miss_Megan]

Thanks, just a couple more posts

[patticake]

Yay! You can do it!

[Miss_Megan]

So I will try and load some of the photos I have so you guys can see, it may take me a moment.

[myorchid]

Welcome to the geeks! Can't wait to see your pictures. You will enjoy it here and learn a lot too!

[Miss_Megan]

I'm afraid the photos are abit dark, so the brilliance of the flowers hasn't come out as well but you get the general idea and hopefully someone can tell me what type of den it is and you can see abit of the yellowing:

orchid . ..jpg orchid ..jpg orchid ...jpg orchid ..jpg

[digitalgate]

look like sunburn mark to me. Then again,the leave colour is dark green.(which suggest insufficient light.) This confusing to me. Also the cane is a little shriveled , that would suggest insufficient water. I would soak the plant for 30 min then drain all the water away. So as to discourage fungus growth.

[jay]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

It is a little difficult to see the pictures, but from the last photo the roots look pretty good. That does not mean that they are all good in the pot. You live in a humid area so watering will be drastically different from me.

Some leaves will die off, this is natural for Dendrobiums and other orchids as well. The trick is to try to figure out why. If the canes are all wrinkled with massive leaf die off then it could very well be over or under watering. If the canes are still nice and firm, and you don't notice any soft brown areas, then it is probably not over watering.

The rest period you are asking about is for Nobile type Dendrobiums, which you don't have. I am not sure of the type, maybe phal-type. The flowers also look to be open all the way. This is just the style of this time of flower. Again, it is a little hard to see, and I am just one opinion.

After re-reading your post, it might be slightly under watered. Only 2 times in six weeks is a little light, but it really does depend on your conditions. There are several members that live in the UK and could offer a little better advice for your location.

Either way, it looks like you are on your way to becoming a full addict.

[Miss_Megan]

Your right about the canes being a abit wrinkled, especially the smaller ones, which i hadnt actually noticed really before. I have since given it a nice drink and will do more regularly than I have been. Thank you for all you advice and tips, all is much appreciated