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EEOS Original Articles |
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The many articles in our Orchid Culture section can solve most of your culture issues. Check them out before submitting a question. |
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AOS Culture Sheets |
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The AOS Culture Sheets are very thorough guides for growing orchids successfully. Read the one pertaining to your kind of orchid before asking a culture question. |
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Ask Your Own Question |
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If the articles and culture sheets in our Orchid Culture section did not solve your problem, feel free to submit your own orchid culture question. |
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(Posted on October 1, 2003) |
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Question |
| I always wanted to try to raise an orchid and yesterday, I was at Home Depot and saw a 4-inch dendrobium. It had a tag on it npm367 D. Burana Jade. I must be truthful and tell you, I don't have a clue how to take care of it but I love it. I don't know should it be keep in sun light or not much light. Could you please help me. |
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Frank Epright - Sedona, USA |
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Answer |
| Frank, we have detailed instructions on our Orchid Culture section. Many different species are listed. Thanks for visiting the EEOS web site. |
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Bob Stipe |
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Answer |
| Hi Frank. Dendrobiums are not hard to care for. There are many different types of dendrobiums, however, and I'm not familiar with Den. Burana Jade. But if it is the type that is usually seen at Home Depot, then you can offer it high light, especially during the growing season (though not as much light as a vanda would get), plant it in a mixture of charcoal and expanded clay (Aliflor), and water often, always letting it dry between waterings. That's pretty much it. Of course, these are general guidelines and will vary depending on your growing conditions. You can consult our Orchid Culture section for more detailed information. |
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Fred Armando |
| I have an Exotic Dendrobium Orchid and I would like to know how to repot it. Thank you for your help. |
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BJ |
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Answer |
| BJ, I don't really know what you mean by "Exotic", but if you care to visit our Orchid Culture section, you'll probably find all the information you need. Thanks for the question and for visiting the EEOS. |
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Bob Stipe |
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Answer |
| BJ, check out our Orchid Culture section and go to the Dendrobium section. Not knowing the type of dendrobium you have, you can be pretty safe by putting the orchid in a basket with a phalaenopsis-type mix. Check your plant regularly to see how it's doing. If you are having problems, take it to a local orchid nursery for further assistance. |
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David Schaffter |
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Answer |
| Dear BJ, the most important step in solving your problem is identifying the orchid. There are many type of dendrobiums, and you need to know what type you have. Basically, dendrobiums can be divided into deciduous dendrobiums (those that lose their leaves before flowering) and evergreen dendrobiums (those that flower without losing their leaves). The first type includes Den. parishii and Den. pierardii and all of these orchids need a rest period during the year. That's when they will drop the leaves and begin flowering. We have an article on this type in our Orchid Culture section under Articles by the East Everglades Orchid Society . The agregatum-type dendrobiums do not lose their leaves, but also need somewhat of a dry period in order to flower. The evergreens are the most common type of dendrobiums, and can be grown under the conditions described in our Dendrobium article. Don't forget to also check out the AOS Culture Sheets in the same section. My suggestion to you is to identify the orchid you have and contact us again. We will be glad to help you. |
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Fred Armando |
| OK, my grandma bought a dendrobium and its stressed she wants to know how she can make it unstressed. So my question is how do you make a dendrobium unstressed? |
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Stacey - Arlington, VA - USA |
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Answer |
| Stacey, without more specific information on the condition of your plant, it's not easy to give you information on how to remedy your problem. Please check our Orchid Culture for information on dendrobiums. Thanks for the question and for visiting the EEOS online. |
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Bob Stipe |
| Do dendrobiums shrink at times? |
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Betty Caesar - Miami, FL - USA |
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Answer |
| They might if they are not being cared for properly. Decidious dendrobiums will loose their leaves in the winter. This is natural. Then in spring they will bloom from the bare canes. Don't forget to check out the Orchid Culture section of our web site for more information on dendrobiums. |
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Bob Stipe |
| I bought an orchid last year from a nursery and they told me to let the water run throught it for about a minute each week and feed it some orchid food. I did that for a month and it died. I thought I would try my luck again and I bought two dendrobiums (julee red) and I want to know how to take care of them the right way. I want to know about water, feeding and potting. If you can help me out that would be great. I don't want to lose out on another orchid! Thanks!! |
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Elahe - New Jersey, USA |
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Answer |
| Dear Elahe: You can visit the Orchid Culture section of our web site and it should tell you how to care for your dendrobiums. First thing I do when I buy a dendrobium is look at the potting medium. Mass-produced dendrobiums usually need repotting, as their medium is usually breaking down and not right for my growing conditions. Repot your plant in some orchid planting medium that can be purchased at Home Depot or local garden center. Water twice a week and let slightly dry out between waterings. Place in an area where it will get about 50% sunlight and keep warm (80 degrees). You can also seek out a local orchid society or get some books at the library on orchid culture. |
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David Schaffter |
| I just got a pink miniature dendrobium as a gift (no tag), but it's planted in dirt, in a plastic pot, and it's already starting to lose some leaves. I don't want to wait until the plant looks real bad to repot it into something a little more appropriate like a clay pot wit aliflor, but I also don't want to hurt the plant. Should I go ahead and repot it right now or should I wait until it finishes blooming? If I do repot now, should I leave the spikes alone or cut them to save the plant some energy? Thanks for your help. The website is great, keep up the good work!! |
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Carol - Homestead, FL - USA |
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Answer |
| Dear Carol - I would repot your orchid right away. It's better to loose your leaves and flowers now than wait and lose the plant later. Repot in a clay pot with a standard orchid mix along with a little sphagnum moss and grow like a cattleya. Since it's a miniature, it will require a little more moisture than a larger dendrobium. Check the condition of the roots when you repot. Make sure they are in good shape. If not, hold back on the watering until the plant establishes new roots. Water just twice a week to keep from drying out. |
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David Schaffter |
| I just purchased a very healthy looking Dendrobium orchid. It appears to be growing out of the middle of a chunk of wood (the plant is in the middle and the wood is held together with a band and it seems to be quite attached to the wood). I would like to repot it, as there is a lot of new growth, and it looks a bit crowded. Can I just take off the wood and put it into Fir bark? Does it need something else? Thanks for any help you can give me. |
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Andrea - Amherst, MA - USA |
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Answer |
| Andrea: If the chunk of wood is in good shape, I'd leave the orchid attached & repot it in a larger pot with fresh medium surrounding the old. If the wood is breaking down and decaying, then remove it and repot with fresh medium. I've heard that dendrobiums do not like to repotted as much as cattleyas. |
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David Schaffter |
| Hello there! I have a dendrobium orchid that has finished blooming. The spike is sticking up, but I cannot find any information about what I do next... do I cut if off? do I leave it alone? Any advice would be appreciated! |
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Andrea - New England, USA |
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Answer |
| Dear Andrea: Chances are the dendrobium is finished blooming. It is OK to keep the spike on the plant if it is still green, but as soon as it starts to turn yellow, then it's done and can be removed. |
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David Schaffter |
| I recently got three deciduous dendrobiums from a friend, but none of them have tags and my friend doesn't know their names either. They are all mounted on cork pieces. What's the best way to keep them? Do they need a lot of light? How about feeding? I heard that they need a dry period during the year. Is that true? If so, when should I do it and how dry do I have to keep them? Thanks for the help. You have a great site. |
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John - Miami, FL - USA |
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Answer |
| John - Deciduous dendrobiums will grow in high light (screen patio) with frequent watering (twice a week) after they bloom, usually in the spring time. Fertilize once every 2 weeks. Give this culture throughout the summer and fall. During the cooler, winter months, cut back on the watering and fertilizing. With cooler temperatures, it will loose its leaves and become almost dormant until the days start getting longer and warmer (February). On the bare canes, new buds will start forming to become flowers. Each species of deciduous dendrobium has slightly different requirements, but the above culture will generally do. Try out some books that might give you some hints, or better yet, connect to a local orchid club in your area and get expert advice from the members. |
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David Schaffter |
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