Lost a dendrobium.

[Winterwhite]

I touched one of the dendrobium canes last week and the canes pulled out rotted. I have been watering it throughout the winter and went back to read more about the dendrobium. It says not to water after it has bloomed which is probably most of the winter. I shouldn't resume the watering until little growth nodes start growing on the canes. I guess I should have taken those instructions literally. Bottom line is.......don't water during the winter or dormant period.
Is this standard operating procedure???? Don't water despite your desire to water? Both of the plants I am referencing are soft-cane.
Any comments on this. Winterwhite

[fred]

I just thought the best way to answer your question is to show you this link.

very useful information.

Dendrobium Culture notes

I hope this helps you

[Winterwhite]

It does and it doesn't help. I need someone to say......it is common to let up on the watering for 2 or 3 months. The culture notes does say that some may need drying etc. The closest I've come to an understanding is that I shouldn't water but on occasion I should mist the canes. I'm fearful I may be loosing a second dendrobium and the person I gifted one to a year ago is also loosing hers. The canes just get soft and then you can pull them out with just a little touch. Thank you, Winterwhite

[arleneg]

For all my orchids, I usually cut back on watering in the winter months. When weather is cold, it takes longer for the water to evaporate, or the plant slows down at that time and therefor don't need much water. Some plants go dormant. That said, I water every 2 or 3 weeks on most of my orchids. For the ones that go dormant, I lightly mist once a month or so.

HTH.

[kmarch]

Dear Winterwhite,

Dendrobiums are an extreemely varied genus with all sorts of different cultural requirements depending on what kind of Dendrobium you have. Some Dens get no water in winter, not a drop, while others are watered year round. Some must get cold in autumn/winter others require tropical conditions year-round. This is why the general cultural info you find (especially on the web) is vague and confusing. If a culture sheet or person says, "Dendrobiums should be grown like this...." be weary and ask them what kind of Dendrobium they are talking about. If they can't tell you don't take their advice and keep searching.

So what kind of Dendrobium did you have?

[Winterwhite]

I believe they a D nobile. My sense is that they didn't need the water I gave them. But I am learning and that is a good thing! And thank you for your responses. Winterwhite

[kmarch]

Dear Winterwhite,

Yup nobile-types (also called "soft cane Dendrobiums") need a long, cool, bright, dry winter, only just enough water to prevent the canes from withering. Then when the new canes stat growing increase watering untilthey're gettign LOTS of water while in growth. As growth is nearing maturity in the autumn, reduce watering until it's practically nothing. I'd skp the fertilizer or this one too.

Cheers

[tom499]

not watering during the rest period

i guess they must vary, i have an unkown dendrobium, thought i think it goes by the nickname, bamboo orchid, anyway, i have watered mine during the winter, and now its got maybe 5 or 6 new stems, and the roots are growing up the stems, up into the air, its out of control!! Th keikei is big now and i will be looking to pot it in a month or so, depending on what you guys say

that said, my only worry is, kei kei means the plants in trouble and wants to get "part" of its self to safety?

i forget whether a keikei is a good thing for dens or not

[kmarch]

Dear Tom,

Yes, as I mentioned above Dens vary greatly in their culture. Nobile-types should not be watered during the winter. Yours may be a different kind of Dendrobium. Bamboo Orchids are not Dendrobiums, they're Arundina graminifolia, a very pretty orchid that grows in the wild in Hawai'i. I believe they are related to Sobralias but I'm not 100% on that. Regarding your kekis - a Hawai'ian word meaning "baby" (it helps having in-laws that live in Hawai'i) - it could very well be that you're getting kekis because of the all-winter watering. Nobile types for example will often keki instead of bloom if watered during their rest period. Can you post a pic of your Den. so we can figure out what kind it is?

Den nobiles, in the wild, are subjected to monsoons. They genetically expect to have hot, wet, summers and cool, dry winters. If you don't give them this, they suffer. It's very hard, being nurturers, to withhold water, the elixer of life, but it must be done for the plants to thrive.

[tom499]

ok i took some pictures, i think i may have an old photo of what the flower looked like somewhere, i'll look for that.

I see the plant has a keiki. Dendrobiums usually throw keikis if they are not happy with something in their culture, ie watering when it should be dry. Otherwise the plant looks healthy.

[kmarch]

It looks like it could be a kingianum hybrid or somethign like that. At the very least it's a hard cane of some type. I grow these outside here in Melbourne Australia where it gets down to 4-6 winter nights. I water them heavily when they are in active growth. They are currently budding for me (autumn) after blooming I only let them get what rain falls. I only fertilized once this summer (just lazy) and I do not fertilize if they are not actively growing. There are some real hard cane experts down here because the climate is so good for them and people grow so many of them. Hopefully one of the good experienced hard cane growers will post so we can see how the pros do it.