Dendrobium Haircuts?

[mayres]

I've noticed that the majority of dens that are sold around here have 2-4 stalks and are maybe 8-12 inches tall. When the next growth or two come up they may be 18" tall plus and the pot is falling over! Is there any way to keep them at a more manageable height? During growth can you snip out the terminal growth (gasp - sorry) and keep them shorter?

[janet_a]

well, if you snip the tops of non nobiles, i'd assume they wouldn't bloom...

how about just dropping the whole plant into a heavier cachepot? a place i used to buy orchids potted all their dens in straight charcoal in four inch pots, and then the whole shebang went into a 5 inch clay to be sold.

[mayres]

I'm not so much concerned about the plant falling over (though that can be a pain), but also about the aesthetics of long lanky stems that don't have a nice balance compared to a shorter plant - plus I have problems fitting them places when they are so tall. :-)

[Ellen]

Janet's right that if you cut non-nobile dendrobiums they wouldn't bloom since the spike comes out of the top of the cane. Nobiles might bloom, since they produce the flowers all along the stem, but they would look strange and it would probably be somewhat traumatic for the plant since they use the stem to make food and store water. Why mutilate a perfectly good orchid plant? If you don't like the way dendrobium stems look and/or don't have room for a tall plant, there are plenty of other orchids that are leafy and compact. You might want to try Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum or a mini Cattleya, and give your dens to someone who appreciates them for what they are.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

If you have 'long lanky stems', perhaps they could use more light. Some orchids, like reedstemmed epidendrums, grow much taller in low light. I haven't noticed this in Dens, but I have never done the experiment to find out. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

[mayres]

Actually, my problem isn't that I don't like dens, I do! I actually like too many types of orchids. The challenge is how to take care of many different kinds with limited household space. I grow most of the plants I have at home under fluorescent lights and my challenge is that some of my dens are getting too tall for my shelving space and crashing up into the tubes. Hmmm. So many orchids and so little time, money and space... :-)

[Ellen]

I see you're in Oregon. It should be warm enough to put your dens outside for the summer if you have a place to do it. Just don't make the transition from low light to sun too quickly or they'll burn. In Seattle, I keep many of my orchids outside from early spring to late fall, including some big dens (18"+ canes that put out 2 foot flower spikes in winter! Yeah, I know, they take up a lot of space). Last night it got really cold, but the dens, catts, and other orchids are fine. They'll be OK as long as it doesn't get down to freezing at night. And you can test Cynthia's hypothesis that lots of light will make the new canes grow shorter. Makes sense to me.

[jerrymeola]

You might like to consider letting your dens rest during the winter and putting them in an area that is not under the lights. They will live in low light levels but need more light to flower. You could then put them outside for the summer to flower.

Here is a photo of a very large den 36 inches high and 30 inches across that is tied to the pot hanger. It is a great way to keep and display large dens.

The plant has about 50 three inch flowers in the overall photo. The second photo is that little white spot at the top.

[mayres]

The concept of the plants growing shorter with better light in outdoor conditions is interesting. I'm sort of torn between putting them "out to pasture" and keeping them inside because of considerations of all the plant "invaders" I might have to deal with outdoors versus leaving them indoors - such as aphids, mealies, thrips, scale, etc. I suppose if I could come up with a good plan of spraying them to "clean" them of pests before bringing them back in it would be totally acceptable - may have to try at least a few and see what happens. THANKS for the input!

Mayres, I discovered the first time I put them outside that the plants do so well that it's worth it to try to battle the beasties. First of all, I keep them off the ground, as anything that crawls will find them for sure. I keep them up on a wire plant stand on the patio, and I slip the pots into hanging baskets and hang the sun and bright light lovers from the branches of my bushes out front. Once a month while they're outside I spray them with Bayer Rose and Flower Systemic Insecticide. The effects last for 30 days, according to the label. And once a month I treat them with physan, to protect them from any fungus.

Before I bring them in they get treated with Orthene WP, once a week for three straight weeks, or they get the Bayer Rose and Flower spray once a week for two straight weeks.

With this practice I have not brought any beasties into the house and the plants seem to stay relatively clean. And they are double the size and strength of what they were when I first put them out.

[mayres]

Sounds good - can you share what process you use to aclimate them to the outdoors? Do I take them out for an hour or two the first day and then increase an hour or two per day until I get the full day - start with 1/2 day or what? I don't want to burn them right off the bat. If I set them out on a cloudy day can I start out with full days? Can I leave them out on day one and just cover them after a certain number of hours or do you bring them back in the house? Wanting to make the transition as easy as possible without damaging them. Thanks for any input...mike

[Judith]

OK! So I admit, I am an absolute newbie to dendrobiums. Mine is making aerial roots way up the stalk. What do I do now?? This is a smaller plant (12-15") that I bought in bloom last winter. The terminal leaves are yellowing & dropping, but the new growth (opposite the the aerial roots) is quite green & healthy. Do I just support it & give the roots something to grab onto or do I need to repot it? My terrestials never did such things!!!

When dendrobiums send out roots high up on the cane, it means that the plant is not happy with something in it's culture. Dendrobiums need lots of bright light, almost as much as catts, and do not like lots of nitrogen. In the spring and summer they need lots of water and fertilizer, and then in the fall and winter they like to be dryer and need less fertilizer. What type of dendrobium do you have? A den-phal type or a nobile?

[Judith]

Thanks for your response.

As far as I can tell it is nobile, sweet pinky 'love'
It lived under the NW skylight after blooming where everything thrives (except in summer when it's too bright & hot) I was fertilizing 2x week during bloom but have cut back to every week or whenever I remember. Should I keep fertilizing it? I moved it outside yesterday to a sheltered spot on the porch.

I am wondering if I should, like, air-layer the new sprouts (w/aerial roots) and start over with little plants or should offer something for them to attach to. I mean, will it be a million yrs before it blooms again now that it's making little plants along the stalks? Any help you can give is greatly appreciated.

[jerrymeola]

Nobile dens put out a lot of Keikis even when not being fertilized. Then they can be cut off whenever the roots are about 3-4 inches long and re-potted.

One of my best, that had over 80 flowers, started Keikis even before the flowers were done and has close to 50 Keikis now. A Keiki I cut off at about six inches already has 12 new Keikis on it in only 3 months.

As to height of dendrobiums and light, while light may play a small part in the height of the final plant, the length of the canes is mostly genetic.

I wanted to say this because there are many short dendrobiums being breed now.

In Nobiles Yamamoto Dendrobiums hybridizes with the intention of getting smaller plants. I have a number from him that stay in the 12-16 inch range.

Den Lori Mortimer (a spatulatla dendrobium i.e. twisted petals) a hybrid by the University of Hawaii has never gotten over 10 inches in any of the almost 200 plants I have owned, although I have not been able to keep many very long to determine total height potential.

There are many hybrids being breed to remain short to avoid the problems, of which you are complaining. Growers hear your problems and will develop hybrids for our needs.

Most of the dens you can buy at a Home Depot or WalMart are the common Den-Phals being breed for cut flowers. To find smaller growing plants you will have to do some homework but they are out there.

[mayres]

Thanks for sharing the pics and the information Jerry!