Culture Care For Dendrobium Mandarin Pink?

[NiNiDazzle]

Went to Lowes today to return an item and of course I had to look over the orchids. Found a Den that looked good and had a tag. I figured with the name I could easily find the culture needs of this 'chid. Not so. Looks like there is no such plant as a Den. Mandarin Pink.

This would be my second Den and I am already slowly killing my first one. I've already broken off one of the blooms on the car ride home.

Here are some pics. Hopefully someone will tell me what kind of Den it is so that I will know what to do with it.

[Puddy1]

That is sure a nice plant for Lowes, nice pick up. Good luck with her

[tangers40]

i used to have what i thought was a properly named dendrobium from lowe's too. Den. Hollywood. upon further inspection, it wasn't registered either. apparently their vendors have a habit of labeling plants with either made-up or not-yet-registered names.

as for the type, it's a phalanthe-type den, the most common type seen in big-box stores. the AOS should have an excellent care sheet for it (perhaps somebody else can linky? i can't from here).

[orchidea]

It's a young hard cane dendrobium, so no winter rest for him/her....
This type likes to be sitting tight in the pot, likes to dry between waterings, and likes plenty of light.....
I love all my Dens, they are such reliable bloomers for me. There is one reason in particular I like them so much is they don't get to be too upset with lower humidity levels as some of my other chids.

What is the problem with the first one you have? Could it be overwatering perhaps?

There are so many hybrids of Dendrobiums. The best is to contact the grower if his/her name is on the tag to check who the parents are for some better culture info.

[NiNiDazzle]

Thanks tangers40 and orchidea! That really helps a lot.

My first Den is a Den. spectabile. I know, why did I pick such a difficult one? Because I thought the flowers looked cool. I have no idea what I'm doing with this chid. I moved it to S/H since that is how I grow all my orchids. It lost all it's roots... I sunburned half it's leaves off... Now it's sitting bare root in a clay pot under 70% shade outside. I water it once or twice a day. I'm about to repot it in LECA, not S/H this time though. The LECA is soaking right now.

[kmarch]

It's a phal-type den. Read the culture sheet on this forum or at American Orchid Society. After you've read it let us know if you have questions.

[NiNiDazzle]

Big woops. I read the AOS culture sheet for a phal-type den and saw the "medium light" and for some odd reason thought, oh, that means it'll be right next to my catts. I put it under 2500fc lights.

I figured it would be fine in the five days I would be gone for a sister's trip to Vegas. WOOPS!!! Came back to a badly burned den. I reread the sheet and sure enough it said "medium light". I read it through completely and and on the last line it said "These grow well with Phalaenopsis".

That's what I get for not reading carefully. All buds but one have blasted and who knows if it'll ever bloom for me.

[Puddy1]

I just bought a den, the phal-type. After reading up on it I put it on the back deck under my big tree with my Oncs & Zygo. The temp is right and, tho it is phal-type, read it wasn't to be treated as such. After reading the AOS sheet, it contradicts that. So I have brought her inside...also the leaves on her two new canes are turning yellow from the cane out. The canes are not soft tho.

[NiNiDazzle]

Hi Barb. I grow my oncids right next to my catts so yours probably got a touch too much light also. At least you caught yours pretty early on. I'm guessing I will lose the top two leaves of the tallest cane and and the other leaves will just be ugly for a long while.

Good luck with yours. Hopefully I won't kill too many dens before I get the knack of it.

[Puddy1]

Thanks Linda, she's my first den. I won't buy more unless she will thrive for me. I couldn't pass up the flower! Was hoping when I got it that it was an epidendrum. I'm such a noob

[pedidiva]

I bought a phal-type den at a reduced rate at the local nursery. It had some sunburn--like the photos above. I repotted (S/H) & set out in proper lighting, perhaps a little shadier. As I predicted, the sunburned leaves are falling off. The rest of the plant is healthy will make a bounce-back afte it recovers from its stress. It takes time to get well.

Good luck with yours.

Pedi