Yellow leaves


Yellowing leaf


Will this grow leaves?

Here's a root with both white and black on it. Why the black root?

Help save it please. It's on east facing windowsill.

Is your plant growing smaller instead of bigger? I hate that.

My only thoughts: New medium and a smaller pot. Old canes yellow and go into some permanent dormant mode (they aren't dead because you can start new plants with them) but new canes should be growing to replace them.

Hi Betsy!
First of all, there is good news, you have some small, but healthy looking growths there. If I see this correctly, there is even a tiny new growth starting.
I wouldn't worry about the yellowing leaf. Most of these type of Dendrobiums leaf out during their growing season, then drop their leaves and bloom most of the time on bare canes.
Now the bad news is that pot is way too big and there is simply too much bark. These Dendrobiums like to be pot bound/ walk out of the pot to do well. (I have a similar plant, I have been growing it without medium for years) Also, if any way possible, give it as much light as it can take without burning. ( at least here in NJ! )
The bare cane will not leaf out again, but it is still functional.

Thks Daisy and Ursula,
I will change to smaller pot. What type of medium should I use? This was from bag of orchid mix.

This was from a trade from very nice lady in Puerto Rico couple years ago - had bloomed only once.
So any other advice would truly be appreciated.

Those bags of orchid mix from the BigBox store are only suitable for terrestrial orchids. What you want is some chunky, fast draining wood chips.

Daisy, the Better Gro orchid mix I find at Lowe's is mostly large chunks of bark/wood along with perlite, some charcoal and a tad of peat which seems to promptly disappear. They have two different formulas, orchid mix and phal mix but I find them almost identical. For me it is either that or I have to buy online, no nurseries that carry supplies around here.

I would just take some coconut fiber ( those mats used to line baskets) loosen it, wash it a bit and gently wrap the roots with that and use it to anchor the plant in a small basket. Tie the canes to the hanger so it doesn't wobble until established. This works well for me, but I do water a lot.

Great info, thanks.
@Ursula, what type of basket? The ones with holes or not? Maybe the small Easter baskets?

I have used the equivalent of Easter baskets, they work fine, but they fall apart in one season.
I like these
https://www.repotme.com/orchid...
But if I can't get my hand on one of those, I have fashioned wire cages from a small piece of rabbit fence, or I look for a small wire basket at my local nursery.

Most Dendrobiums will not like a "chunky" media. I can't be exactly sure what type of Dendrobium it is but you could use a mix suitable for Phalaenopsis.
Ursula makes a very good point and I agree totally, Dendrobiums do not like to be overpotted. Pot according to the size of the root system. Small roots = small pot. More roots can go into a slightly larger pot. Little plants the size of yours should be in a three inch pot, perhaps a four.
A basket would make an excellent choice but AFTER it has recovered. The good news is that they can recover quickly.

Here it is: after repotting into smaller pot and several months later.
There are some dried roots though. Has more green leaves. It is presently getting sun from south-facing window.




What's the next step? Thanks for everyone's help.

The plant looks pretty good but you have two problems as I see it:
1. More minor is the pot for a Dendrobium is still too large.
2. The chunks of media are too large. It will dry out much too quickly.
Plus those nuggets are pine bark. Pine bark will cause harm to any orchid potted in it. Pine bark has to much resin or sap. The sap will kill the roots. The appropriate bark to use is fir bark. Fir bark comes from the Douglas Fir tree and does not have resin in it. It is a pronounced reddish brown in color. The particle size should be 3/8 to 1/2" at most but what I see are bark chunks or nuggets which are 1 1/2"" or larger. These pieces are too coarse, they will dry out much too quickly.

Here is a selection of orchid mixes that Lowe's carries.
https://www.lowes.com/search?s...

I think your orchid looks so much better, I would be reluctant to repot this soon. But, the bark is way too big so will need more water.

I have a Dendrobium that was a keiki I dropped into a wine glass by my sink until I could repot. It did so well in the wine glass I transferred it to a terracotta pot - I stuck it against the wall in the greenhouse (that's the wettest but still brightest place I have). Its blooming, without any medium, just a pot. But, the blooms are starting to take their toll on the plant. I can't keep it wet enough in winter to make it happy, even though its on bloom stalk #2.

Time will tell if your large chunky bark is a good choice (as time will tell if my medium-less terracotta pot is a good choice). But, I personally would give it time...

Got bag of orchid mix from Lowe's today and went ahead and repotted with the smallest pieces of bark into smaller pot.
Placing it on east-facing windowsill.

Thanks all.

I think that will definitely help.

@bigbill, how do you water this orchid?
Is their 'rule of thumb'?
What about fertilizer?

Been reading posts here but thought I'll ask you directly. Thks

I would water it well and then let it dry out a little between waterings. If it is in a 4" pot, water it every 5-6 days depending upon light and temperature. They can impact the drying time.
In a 5" pot, try watering it every 6-7 days as an example.
The important part is not to grow them moist. They need to have their roots dry off a bit.
Orchids in general are not helped by a regular feeding. Once a month at half strength is plenty.

Just an Update of this orchid; it is doing so much better sending up new growth.





everyone for all the advice.

Very good!
We all like go hear about good results.