Did I kill this dendrobium?

[Rhonda Svoboda]

I just got this orchid last month/ It wasn't in very good condition. I was very dissapointed in the quality of this plant I purchased online.
Anyway, It did have flowers but very few leaves. Then everything fell off.
Sone of the canes are green so I am not sure if this is a natural part of the growth cycle or not. This is my first dendrobium and I don't know that much about them.
So, my questions are:
1) Is this dead?
2) Since the canes are green will they produce new leaves again?
What should I do with it?
Thanks

[Roberta]

First, you didn't kill it... it's condition when you got it was pretty dicey. The green cane, however, indicates that it is still alive. (Out of curiosity, which Dendrobium?) It is very possible that new growth will develop (could be next spring), and then the old cane could even be the source of flowers. I can't see into the pot very well, but I suspect that a repot would be a good idea. Water lightly - keep damp but not soggy. (If it were winter I'd suggest reducing water more, but it isn't...)

However, when you received it in poor condition, you should have asked for a refund. After a month, your negotiating power is much reduced - but still might be worth the ask, especially if you have photos from when you first received it.

[Rhonda Svoboda]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply. I lost the tag so I don't know the name of it. I guess I'll just have to wait & see what happens. I will cut back on water.
Thanks

[aliceinwl]

Your mileage may vary, but I’ve bought some poor condition Dendrobium nobile types from box stores and this is what has worked for me.

Unpot it and get rid of the old substrate and dead (mushy only) roots. If canes are brown or black at the base, they go too: they always just rot. If I feel there’s the tiniest amount of hope/green, I pot them up separately from the viable plant, but none have ever pulled through for me.

I like to repot into sphagnum moss because it’s very easy to gauge moisture by feel. Get the moss wet, squeeze out all the water and pot up the canes (original pot or one of similar size is fine). Stake the canes to prevent wiggle. When the moss feels damp and is approaching dryness, water. Keep doing this.

If you have Kelpmax you can use it to kickstart things. I’ll soak the canes overnight in a Kelpmax solution after I unpot them and then water them in with the Kelpmax when I pot them back up.

Sometimes you’ll see the new roots start at the base, other times the canes will just suddenly replump due to new roots being generated below the substrate. It’s usually on the order of months before I’ve seen recovery.

Good luck!

[estación seca]

I'm thinking the seller bought for a pittance a bunch of clearance supermarket plants that were almost done blooming, and had poor care for a long time. Then resold them. I agree it likely looked terrible when you got it.

I would add to what aliceinwl wrote above that giving it higher humidity would increase its chances of surviving. It will rot if the sphagnum is wet and you put it into a closed space, so don't do that. If there's a Marshalls or TJ Maxx near you, they sometimes have very tall glass vases for not much money. I have several I use as humidity chambers. Water the plant, let it set out until the moss is just somewhat moist, then put it into the vase. Don't seal the top completely.