Question
QUESTION: Hi, I am a new orchid owner and trying to learn the quirks about these guys.  
In addition to a phal i was given (about which i sent an earlier email) I have a
dendrobium with no further identification than that.  Shortly after it was given
to me nine months ago the leaves gradually turned yellow and dropped off.  I
figured it was dead and put it outside to dispose of when i got around to it,
but discovered a few months later that it had a keikei on the top of one 12
inch stem and maybe a half inch shoot coming up from the base of the same
stem.  the other 6 stems are completely bare.  I brought the plant back into
the house in september.  How can i tell if the other stems are in fact dead?  if
they are dead, do i cut them back?  Since bringing it in the keikei is getting
bigger, but the shoot does not seem to have grown, at least not noticeably?   
What do you think?  Is it normal for the leaves to fall off a dendrobium?  If its
deciduous, does it require "pruning"?  Thanks in advance for any advice you
can give me.

ANSWER: Hi Nick,

If the canes (stems or growths) of the dendrobium are still firm when squeezed, they are still alive and should be left alone.  But, if they are sort of soft or turning brown they are dead and may be removed by cutting it off near the base.  

You can tell if it is a deciduous or evergreen by where and how the flowers were on it.  Deciduous types produce their flowers along the canes while evergreen types produce a spike (stem) from the top of the cane.  Another thing that is different about them is that deciduous types can easily withstand temperatures down into the 40F's (in fact they need that to initiate flowering) while evergreen types do not like temps much below 55F.  Day temps for both should be above 60F.  

As for the keiki, leave it alone until it has roots over 2 inches long then gently pull and twist it until it breaks off.  If it doesn't break off easily you can cut the connecting strand.  Put the keiki in a small pot (about 2 1/2 inch size) with orchid media and grow it next to its Mama.  Speaking of Mama, unless she is beginning to grow over the side of the pot, leave her alone as dendrobiums prefer being potbound.  

Hope this helped.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jim, thank you for the answer.  Based on the above mine is an evergreen type, although it now has no leaves.  It looks like the canes in my pot actually come from 3 separate root systems in the pot, two of which are sort of soft and probably dead, but the third is still alive.  Do I remove the dead ones roots and all?  This would leave one small orchid system in a pot that's probably too big for it, or do I just cut the stems down and leave the planting medium alone.  Thanks in advance for sharing your years of wisdom with us newcomers, it's very much appreciated!  Happy Thanksgiving.

Answer
Hi Nick,

Yes, I'd suggest just cutting off the dead ones at the base, just above the soil level.  If you decide to repot it in the spring, you can then remove the remainder of the dead canes.  Also, after removing them you can repot back into the same pot since the rootball will be smaller - remember dendrobiums prefer beeing rootbound in the pot.  

Well, I'm not sure about the wisdom part!  What I've learned from my many mistakes over the years is what not to do.  (grin)  

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.  Will have a houseful of family here.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.