dendrobium nobile with yellowing leaf and black spots

[Shenzyrose]

Hi i just got this dendrobium 3 days ago. i do not know how old its growths are but I don't think the yellowing is a natural as it is the top leaf (correct me if I'm wrong this only my second dendrobium). I would be very thankful for some feedback.

PS: winter only ended one month ago here.

[Roberta]

I can't quite tell from the picture, but it looks like the leaves are on a relatively old (at least year old) cane that didn't quite drop all of its leaves, but was thinking about it. The flowers do typically appear on older canes, often the ones that are completely leafless. So I wouldn't worry about the leaves looking not great. Spring is when the new growth from the base of the plant will start to appear. (And when you see that, it's also a good time to repot. Newly-acquired plants usually need it)

[Shenzyrose]

I will repot it soon as its in a dirt mix from the nursery and it does have a small growth already starting.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Shenzyrose

I will repot it soon as its in a dirt mix from the nursery and it does have a small growth already starting.

Ooohhh no! No dirt for an orchid. You need to use bark (with or without amendments such as perlite or pumice) - the potting medium must permit the free flow of both water and air. Then it dries out a bit (and as the water evaporates from the spaces between the bark pieces, it pulls more fresh air into the root zone) Orchids want "moist air" more than "wet" around their roots.

[Shenzyrose]

Yeah I'll be changing it to bark chips l. The nursery had no clue what they were doing lol. I just wanted to make sure it doesn't have any fungal or pest problems. And thanks again