wavy leaves on den and more

[palefaced&pink]

my crappy camera broke
i had been trying to photograph one of the smaller canes. it only has one leaf now, and the cane itself is white and "threadbare" looking, kinda coming off the cane like a sunburn on skin. it also has a black edge to the dry white peel, and little black spots on the cane. these black spots and rings wouldn't show up on my camera, as they're very small, the largest of the spots being the size of a pin head. one of the two leaves it had turned yellow and curled up, so i cut it off and dusted it. of course the cane turns from dry and white sections into purple stripes and green leaves.

also, a houseguest came over and took it upon herself to water my den. she really really watered it. from the bottom up.... that was two days ago. the skewer is still soaked, and now the leaves look wavy,

and finally, while i was mourning my waterlogged (i'm assuming) plant, i noticed it looks sun burned on a couple of leaves. a light brown splotch....and it's still in full bloom. it's been over a month now. should i just cut them off? i'm more interested in the integrity of the plant then the blooms.

what do i do o orchid master's? what do i do?

[kmarch]

Can you more specifically describe "wavy"?

[brookn]

Hi,

I am sorry that your houseguest decided to half-drown your baby. I would think a fan would work wonders. The stuff that is peeling and looks like thread is normal for a Dend. If the black spots are located on it, not really bad, if you want to gently peel it away, won't hurt anything. If it is green underneatht the stuff, it is a good sign. If the black spots are on the green parts, then you might have problem, but my Dends come across with the anonymous tiny black spot now and then and it usually amounts to nothing.

If the leaf that turned yellow is a bottom leaf, then it is an older leaf, and this is normal. They shed the lower older leaves fairly regularly. If this leaf is one of the top younger leaves then you may have a problem. Let us know. A light brown spot may just be mechanical damage, like the leaf getting bumped. It might be a sign of a bug of some sort, so you will want to inspect the plant and medium fully. Wavy leaves, sounds like just a thing a plant does sometimes. Droopy is not good, please elaborate.

Like I said, to get it over being water logged, I would just pop it in front of a fan, and that will dry it out for you.

[palefaced&pink]

wavy-- the leaves are trying to make "S" shapes of themselves. of course this looks very difficult for it to achieve being the leaves were wonderful crecent shapes last week.they still are crecent shapes for the most part. mainly i notice the waves at the bigining of the leaves and at the very ends. also, in the battle to be wavy, the leaves are trying to turn at the cane. some leaves are trying to look out the window and some are trying to twist to face ME. sorry if this is confusing. possibly from the cold maybe? the weather has just gone chilly and it is in a window.

thanks for the info brookin. i went ahead and peeled off some of the white. the black spot are indeed on the green. i went ahead and gently scraped at the stuff, and some came off on my nail, not much, but it reminded me of mildew almost. the spot i "scratched" didn't come off the cane.

[brookn]

Hi,
Cold and wet bad combo. Try some peroxide straight from the bottle, and a q-tip to wipe the areas with the black spots. You need to check the roots, and if they are looking black peroxide them also (just pour it on). I have had amazing success with it. Take it to a warmer area for a day or two, and put a fan on it for sure, ventilation is a key for orchids at any time. The leaves sound like the plant has been in one position in front of the window, and they are just growing to the light, I turn mine a little all the time. I could be wrong but sounds like it. Let us know if you have any more questions. I hope that helps. What medium is it in, have you repotted, or is it in the medium it came home in?

[palefaced&pink]

thanks so much for all this great advice.
i've only had it for a month and a half, and it's my first one too. i'm very intimidated of it and this waviness sent me into a frenzy! lol

i'll admit that i was loathe to disrupt it out of its bark and little foam beads and junk, so i just tipped all the loose stuff out and the roots are white and growing around and up, and i also saw a single white tip peeking out of the bottom. just the turning of soil seemed to help dry it a little. i really don't think it's black down there, and the roots look like they're squeezing all the bark and dirt together. (that's good right?) so i attacked it with the q-tips and peroxide. it didn't do anything to the black specks. t

most of the black spots are congregated on two sections of an otherwise healthy cane. the bottom most leaf rolled into itself and then turned yellow, so i cut it off and cinnadusted it, but the part that should be white and dry is light yellowish perhaps brown instead(with the most of the black spots apearing there and the sect. above it) i know no one told me to do this, but i peeled some of the yellowish film away and it was bright and green, but also a deep brown in a couple places where it's "white" cover had been. this could be normal?

and you have me pegged about the stationary placement. i would say one of the leaves looks droopy and kinda straight(another bottom one), but otherwise the little crimps are located mostly where the leaves and cane meet....but i hear orchids ARE wierd like this.....

and yes...after my den loses it's blooms (or if i cut them), do i need to put it in less light for a winter sleep ?

[brookn]

It sounds okay, the brown might be a concern, and you will want to keep an eye on it to see if it spreads. Peeling the stuff is no big deal as far as I can tell. This cane may have just gotten a little too much water or perhaps not enough sun. The medium sounds okay that it is in, and it will dry out, and since it is fall you might just want to cut back the water a couple more extra days than usual. Crinkled leaves could be a sign it did not get enough water, but my feeling is that this was before you got it and it is just now growing out and visible. Turn it a quarter turn when you water, and then every side will get enough light. The roots sound good. You are on your way. Cutting the leaf and dusting won't hurt anything, and since it was the older of the leaves sounds like the normal process. Good Luck! Glad to have been some help, I was a newbie to this just a few months ago hyperventilating over my first Dend.

[slippery_biscuit]

There are some other threads here regarding dendrobium leaves. Lots of dends lose their leaves and leave you with a bare cane to look at. The plant may look dead, with a gray, dry looking cane. These leaves may do many things before they fall. Discolor, spots, etc. Even in my limited experience I have learned to not get my shorts in a knot regarding dend leaves.

One big overwatering session will not hurt your plant as long as it gets the opporunity to dry out as brookn has mentioned.

My biggest sugestion, given the detail with which you are observing and caring for your plant, is to go find another orchid that is not a dend. Suggestions for easy household growing orchids would be Psychopsis, Gongora, Phalaenopsis, Doritis pulcherrima and there are many others. With a little effort and patience you should be able to get one for cheap. These plants will bloom for you, keep their leaves all the time, and carry you through the emotional periods when your dend drops its leaves.

[palefaced&pink]

o.k., i just thought i should update...my den finally dried out! i even watered it last week. the leaves are are all straightening out, and bending down again for the most part. they are turning a much darker green and are starting to look better than they ever have!
the blooms are finally wilting, but the last two are holding strong, and they are the prettiest! more vibrant and purplish pink than all the others were....