Too much sun??

[Danelady]

Do these nobile Dends look like they are getting too much light or not enough water or both???
They get direct sun starting at about 3pm. I am watering them each morning. I just went out of town for a few days and realy noticed how bad they look when I got home! I had a friend water them, but I'm not sure how well she did!




This one had a new growth that was a little over an inch tall when I left. It has since dried up and blown away. Any hope of this one recovering??

[E-Jag]

Probably both. The leaves are sunburned, which won't kill the plant but you still need to move it to someplace with high light but not direct afternoon sun. It appears to be too dry/underwatered. Pull it out of the pot and check the roots. Trim the soft mushy ones, soak for a few minutes in hydrogen peroxide and then a rooting hormone/stimulant if you have one. Then repot in fresh bark which has been soaking for a day or two. Dens take a fair amount of water - I soak all of mine for an hour or so every other day. They're outside on a south facing porch but the huge trees in front of the porch keep them from the afternoon sun. Don't fertilize for awhile. It will probably come back. Let us know.

[dounoharm]

i think the late afternoon and evening sun is a bit too strong for orchids this time of year...they will take the morning sun ok, but yours got cooked by the sun....put em where they are shaded in the afternoon hours....

[englandfx]

I agree with E-Jag and dounoharm that your den. should not be exposed to afternoon sun. Sun rays after 12 pm are too strong and will cause your orchids to sunburn.

If you are going to expose your den to full sun, let it be morning sun only.

[kid a]

I agree also it looks like not enough water and some sun burn

[fred]

what this looks like to me is while you were away the plants got watered and the water stayed on the plant while the sun was on the chids hence the sun burn and those spots.
I also agree that the 3pm sun is to hot for the chids as the days are getting longer and the days warmer I would put up some shade cloth over the top just to give them more protection from the hot sun or place them under a tree outside with more shade

as for your third pic as you did have a small growth I think the same thing happened
the water may have stayed inside the growth the sun has hit and burnt it off for you sadly.
now the question you asked can it be saved
I would give the plant alot of TLC and you should be able to get new growth forming again maybe from the canes or new growth from the base.

[Danelady]

Thanks, everyone.
I moved these Dends where they will get morning sun and shade the rest of the day.
The last one I repotted. It only had a few roots that were close to the top where the medium was drying out quickly. I put it in a smaller pot. We'll see what happens next!
I will be watering daily and do not plan to go anywhere again any time soon!!!

[kmarch]

May I recommend a few things?
1) Bright indirect light - I try to give my nobile-types the brightest possible indirect light I can. I have them positioned (we grow them outdoors year-round here) so that they get no direct sunlight or perhaps only a bit of morning sunlight. It does depend on where in the world you are and perhaps more importantly what season you're in. For example I can let many of my orchids get full afternoon sun in winter but in summer even just an hour of direct afternoon sun will fry them.
2) Potting - All of my nobile-types are severly underpotted, meaning pots that appear to be too small for the size of the plant. For example I have a Den nobile var virginale that is about 18-inches tall but it is in a pot that is only about an inch and a half, maybe 2 inches wide (it's a 50mm pot whatever that is in inches). Underpotting is important because it simulates the tight cracks in which the plants would grow in the wild. It also allows the roots to dry out in winter like they want to. So consider repotting, checking the roots, and repotting into substantially smaller pots.
3) Watering - It is summer for you in GA now and so your dens should be in growth phase. They take heavy watering during growth. Your dens don't appear to be in this growth phase just now. Their growth/flowering cycle may be off.

[Danelady]

Originally Posted by kmarch

Your dens don't appear to be in this growth phase just now. Their growth/flowering cycle may be off.

They were growing better before I moved them outside. I guess too much light has slowed their growth. I have moved them and repotted the worst one into a pot less than half the size it was in. What type of fertilizing schedule, if any, do you recommend for these nobiles?

[dounoharm]

never fertilize a plant under stress....wait till they recouperate from the sunburn and start active growth again....

[patticake]

I only have one nobile type, and it's little. I'm learning a lot here, thanks!

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Danelady

What type of fertilizing schedule, if any, do you recommend for these nobiles?

I would not fertilize the plants in this condition. Actually I never fertilize any of my nobile-types.