Hi :) I got my first orchid last week and I think I overwatered. I would really like to save it. I also have other questions, they are posted on each picture. Thank you for your time! Hope the picture work..
#2 ("root rot?") looks to me like roots that have got a bit dry because they're on the surface. Maybe repot and add just a little extra compost on top to just cover the roots. #5 are just new stems of the same plant, growing from the rootstock. A sign it is healthy and growing well.
I am attaching this link to a very concise cultural sheet on growing your Dendrobium hybrid. http://www.orchids-plus-more.com/dendrobium-orchid-care.html As for your plant. For the time being do not worry about the holes in the flowers or the spots on the leaves. From what I can see of the roots and the new growths there is one question: What kind of water are you using on your plant. The reason why I ask is that your roots look like they have been burned and this may be due to overfeeding but ?? Sunburn is a possibility but these plants like and can handle alot of sunlight. I definitely think that you should repot this plant. You should get a clay pot that is smaller than the pot the plant is in. Check the above link on potting mix recommendations. Regular orchid bark is good with this type of plant. Be sure and get a stake as when you repot this type of orchid you will need to put in a stake and tie the tall bulbs to the stake using twist-ems. Instead of a stake you may want to use a pot hanger instead and secure the bulbs to the hanger. Note that this kind of orchid can loose all its leaves. It is normal. Some even flower and have no leaves at all at the time of flowering. Also when you repot do not pot the plant as low as it is in the pot. You should be able to see the top of the rhizome (the stem that goes between the different bulbs) and it should not be buried in the plant mix but sitting on top of it or slightly into the mix. If you are unsure on how to proceed on repotting check with the person you got the plant from or with a local orchid grower if you can find any listed in your phone book.
You have a dendrobium orchid adn it may just be going dormant, these orchids have to go completely dormant for at least 2-3 months.
Hi, New to this forum, but not to orchid growing. #1. Don't worry too much about the spots on the petels. They could be the beginnings of botritis, which is a bacterial problem, easily prevented by having better air circulation around your plant. #2. Roots look healthy, but burned by chemicals (could have been sprayed with pesticides before it left the nursery. Water that is not of good quality (salts, chlorine) can also cause roots to discolor, as can using a fertilizer that is not dilute enough. #3. You are a dendrobium hybrid. You need a coarse potting mix with good drainage. Your roots need to be allowed to dry out in between waterings. You are not one of the dendrobiums which go dormant. Some dendrobiums, including the nobile type dendrobiums are said to appreciate a cool, dry, winter, but yours does not. You like bright light, but cannot tolerate full sun (50% shade cloth if grown in a greenhouse, Indoors it needs to be right in a window, with a sheer curtain to block the sun. #4. Don't worry about the spots on the leaves. There are a lot of bacterial and fungal spores flying around even in the cleanest air. Air circulation will prevent them from "taking root" on your plant. Be careful of physical damage to leaves and pseudobulbs, as they invite infection. #5. You have three pseudobulbs making up your plant. The arrow on the left is pointing to the oldest growth. It has lost its leaves and now contributes its stored nutrients to the newer growths. The arrow on the right points to an intermediate growth. It is larger and has stored nutrients to help the plant produce the third growth, which is in bloom. Each new growth should be larger than the previous one, up to the point where it reaches its genetic height potential, after which, it should produce pseudobulbs relatively equal in height. A mature orchid plant needs the nutrients stored in the older pseudobulbs to help it grow into a healthy plant. At no time should you divide an orchid into less than a clump of three pseudobulbs (I prefer 4). Failing to do this will be harmful to the plant, an will stiffle its growth. Glen
