QuestionI have been taking care of my boss's orchids for over a year now. I thought I was doing well, and have managed to finally get some of the older orchids to rebloom :) now that they have moved to the sunroom and I have seemed to find their preferences. I have one, however, that doesn't seem to be doing so well. It is the Dendrobium. It has 2 1/2 stalks in the pot. One of the stalks is sporting completely yellow leaves with brown spots. The other tall stalk has completely green leaves. It has been over a year since this pot has flowered which led me to believe that it was just dormant for the time being, but I am not sure exactly. I have the pot placed right in front of a window that gets morning sunlight. I live in Statesboro, Ga. Please help me.
AnswerThanks for your question and the detail provided. I think you can be confident that the plant has been in resting mode. It is not uncommon for the older canes to lose their leaves (yellowing and spotting is the first indication of this). A reminder that you should keep the plant on the dry side during dormancy-- just so the canes stay fairly plump and don't shrivel too much. The new growth cycle should be starting soon, at which time a new cane should emerge at the base of the plant, providing it was not kept wet. I'm encouraged by the fact that the newest growth (which has geen leaves) is the largest growth. A well grown dendrobium will have each newly matured growth taller than the previous growth.
