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Orchid (Dendrobium?) house plant - help

Mariam_86Mariam_86 Posts: 79
in Plants
I received this house plant from a friend. I think it’s a type of orchid. It looks very unhappy - any advice on what I can do to help it thrive?



Posts

  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 409
    Hi, there were some very useful comments in my other post also on this kind of orchid:

    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1058181/how-do-i-revive-these-clearance-plants-fig-leaf-castano-orchid#latest

    Think the general idea is to keep it watered once a week and put in indirect light, until new stems grow out. I'm not sure what those white "beards" are on your orchid though. Will wait for someone more knowledgeable.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 2,627
    Hard to tell from your pics but I'd suggest you re pot into a decent plastic pot which has drainage holes in the base.
    A thorough watering when the compost is dry and then let it drain before putting back in an "outer" pot.  Bright light rather than sun - you can keep it outside if you have a suitable spot for most of the summer but bring in before danger of frost.
    The bit hanging down on the RH side is a new plant which you can detach ( keeping the aerial roots ...white bits ) and pot on.
  • Mariam_86Mariam_86 Posts: 79
    Thanks both - pot has drainage holes. 

    Thanks for the tip on detaching and repotting the aerial roots (I wasn’t sure what they were)

    The plant looks a bit miserable as it is - is this just how it looks or can I trim it a bit to rejuvenate it?

  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,615
    No, no trimming, those stems contain the plants food reserves, it looks way way to wet and the white on the bark is possibly a salt build up from fertilisers and watering.
    I would re-pot it in new orchid compost in a pot with good drainage and keep it on a saucer rather than inside a fancy pot. I suspect you will find most of the roots have rotted from being to wet so it will take the plant a while to start growing again, be careful not to over water it in the meantime.
    If it were mine I would also cut off the little baby plant and put it into the new pot as well. water by immersing the entire pot in a tub of luke warm water for 5 minutes once a week (LESS often in winter)and allow to drain completely before putting it on a saucer or into an outer pot. If the bark is still wet like it is in the picture when you go to water, don't water let the bark dry completely before watering again.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 1,958
    Agree @Skandi don't trim what ever you do only with roots that are very old and drying out.
    Your Dendrobium needs these to take up humidity from its surroundings.
    Putting the main pot on a gravel tray and spray this will help.
    Orchids don't need to be watered every day, ours are done once a week in the warmer months and obviously very little in the colder ones.
    If you can use rain water all the better.

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