dendrobium newbie doesn't know what's wrong...
 

Ok, so I picked up a few dendrobiums last summer (my first dends). Towards the fall, two of the three started loosing their leaves...so I got a little depressed and just set them aside to die. I came back and looked at them several weeks later and noticed the canes were still very green and they were alive. I gave them little water over the winter, and the canes are still kicking...but no leaves, even after watering has been upped. I did some research and found that they may be deciduous (but I'm still not entirely sure). Anyway, one has a little growth from the base of the plant that looks like the beginning of a new cane, but it's been there since January and there's been no growth in the past 4 months!

On the other one, I just noticed a TINY growth at the top of one of the canes, but again, no growth since I first noticed it over a month ago...

The third one, which did not lose it's leaves in the fall is not doing too well....It has two canes. One is leafless and all of the leaves on the other are yellowing at the tips and is wrinkly like how phal leaves get before they drop.

Plants are currently kept in isolation, which is a north (I think?) facing window, which gets direct sunlight 2-3 hours a day and bright shade the rest of the day, and watered once a week. They are kept at around 70 degrees.

Does anyone have any idea what's going on with these three plants? I'm totally lost and relatively new to dendrobium culture...

:waving Hi, could you post some pictures of your plants? Hard to tell what type of Dens you have and how they're doing without seeing them...

In general, though, I'd keep them fairly warm and dry (but humid) until you see new growth appear. Watering a plant that isn't actively using that water is more likely to drown the existing roots than help the plant. :twocents:

Most of the more commonly-grown Dendrobiums like a lot of light, so giving them bright, diffuse light may help initiate new growth. If you need to repot, a good time is just after you see new roots appear so they can grow into the new medium. Hope this helps!

--Nat

It does not actually sound like much wrong the one that held it leaves is a evergreen type and could have used a bit more water all winter but if the canes are still firm it will start growing and make new canes soom ..the yellowed leaves are normal they do loise them the second year ...at least mine do



the other two I have no exp with but am just beginning with a parishii ...but if they are making any new growth I would say your doing ok so far just need a bit of paitence and now that its warming up more water and fert

Sorry for such a delay, I really appreciate the help! I did get your replies thanks to email alerts on my blackberry :)

I found that both were evergreen types. The one with the tiny growth at the top of the cane died, as I took it out of the pot to check it out and found that the bottom of all of the canes were rotted.

The other one is looking much more hopeful, still no leaves, but I tried taking it out of the pot and putting it under lights, and roots have started growing like crazy on the small growth at the base!

Thanks again!

Definitely need pictures. Hard to give you much advice without pics and the names of the plants too.

what type of lights?