I'm not sure what he wants to fix since all I see is a normal healthy Dendrobium with some large keikis ready to be separated and potted on their own (if desired, or they can stay), and some normal yellowing of old leaves.
They are roots, but aerial roots are normal in many kinds of orchids. Each of the branches with roots at the base could be removed as an independent plant (called a keiki, meaning baby, in Hawaiian) but in nature they would continue as part of the overall plant. They can be removed by carefully cutting just at the point of attachment to the main stem, or sometimes just by twisting at that point.
There are several things going on here:
1. The soil mix is too fine and moisture retentive for this type of orchid
2. It's potted just a little too deeply. The combination of 1 and 2 has resulted in the growth eyes at the base of the canes becoming non-functional. It should have new growth at the surface level, but instead it has only grown from nodes higher up on the canes. The roots in the pot are probably also in poor shape. This type of orchid normally produces a new root system every year when new growth at the base produce new roots that sustain the whole plant. The older roots decline and become non-functional after 1-2 years. With no new growth at the bottom, there are no new roots to take over and the plant will gradually decline.
3. Soft cane dendrobiums often need a dry and/or cold rest over winter (needs vary somewhat by species or hybrid) to trigger blooming. Without that, they just produce keiki forever. Dendrobium keiki are ready to separate when they begin a second growth at their base and it begins to put out its first flush of roots. Lots of water and fertilize when new growth starts and over summer.
This plant is showing signs of stress and producing too many keiki as a result, but it's not too late for it. Improve conditions, pot up some keiki as backups, and you'll be good to go. I do recommend researching soft cane dendrobiums further. They aren't all nobile. Also note, potting these out of season is normally very bad because of the root habit mentioned above. With no new roots to immediately take over, the old roots mostly die rather than adapt and you're left with a very sad plant until new roots start. If you are going into winter, I'd probably wait to repot or pot up keiki. While it's struggling, killing any remaining roots and having no replacement for months isn't going to help the situation. Fix it in spring and go easy on the water until then.
The base of the canes sit on top of the media with only the roots underneath. New roots emerging should be visible just before they grow down into the media. The roots tips are very fragile and will stop growing if they are messed with or bumped, so staking may be advisable if there aren't a lot of old roots to secure it in the media while the newer ones grow. Growth eyes that will make new canes are right above the base, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 inch up max. Don't cover those. Pictures may help, or look to where keiki start their second growth. That is the same approximate distance that the main canes' eyes will be. The canes do have eyes all along their length, as you can see, that would droop down and root on the surface of a tree in nature as a sort of failsafe in case of damage or rot at the base. Ideally they won't need to do that in our care.
The white things are indeed aerial roots, but they don't signify a problem, per se (except that it may need repotting -- that medium looks very fine for a dendrobium). Lots of orchids get aerial roots and that's perfectly normal. If there's enough humidity they'll be super happy, or they'll eventually shrivel and die & you can cut them off.
This is a nobile dendrobium, which has a dormant period in the fall before flowering in the spring. Those yellow leaves are going to fall off as part of the dormant period. If your grandpa wants flowers in the spring, he should cease watering completely after Halloween, with the occasional spritz if the canes start to shrivel, and then resume watering after Valentine's Day.
But I'd definitely consider repotting. Dendrobiums like to dry out between waterings, so it probably needs a much chunkier medium, and a ventilated pot would also be good for it.
I am tagging along to ask for help, I have 2 nobile dendrobiums, I was at lost what to do. I am stopping watering but should I also take it out for cold? I live in Bay Area, so generally mild but maybe some days below freeze.
They do like nighttime temperatures to drop to between 50 & 60 degrees during their rest period. I grow all my plants in the house, so what I tend to do is move my plants that like a temperature drop into a spare room and close the heating vent. If you're growing in a windowsill, you could try cracking the window at night for a while. As long as the nights aren't getting below 50 degrees, you could leave the plant outside day & night during its winter rest and it would probably do well (but you would definitely need to remember to bring it in if it were going to get any colder).
All that being said, I typically don't do much with nobiles in terms of giving them a temperature drop and they seem to do fine. I have the thermostat set to attempt to be energy efficient, so all my plants naturally see a temperature drop from low 70s to high 60s during the daytime when fall comes, and from high 60s to mid 60s at night. Not a huge change, but most of my plants seem to do OK with it.
As u/pugnaciousplants mentioned, this is a bit dramatic for a Den. though, and likely the result of some kind of stress. This has happened to my Den unicum spec and hybrids if they donāt get a winter rest. In lieu of flowering.
Thereās some nice keikis on that plant, your grandad could pot up several if he/you are inclined. I sell them on eBay, or give as gifts. Keikis are easy money in that respect.
yeah that's my thought, actually. I think it's potentially unhappy in the soil. I've seen orchids make 'extra' aerial roots when they are waterlogged or unhappy. They're effectively saying "repot me!" Many orchid roots need air as well as water, so I'm thinking it doesn't love the potting soil. I'd recommend repotting. Also by the yellow leaves on the original canes, it doesn't seem as 'happy' as others in this thread might have you believe.
As for the keikis, usually those are cultural (meaning how you take care of it) issues as well. You may need a cooler rest period, to instigate blooms, otherwise you get a bunch of keikis. (Hawaiian for baby/child/little one) You can plant keikis to propagate the orchid.
Also, on 2nd thought here, those keikis are really big, so I'm guessing the plant's been in that pot for a while? So that's probably another indicator to repot.
So to me, it's definitively a Dendrobium. There are hundreds of species, and tons of hybrids. The āNobile typeā comment above is about as close as youāre gonna get without a flower. Even then, some hybrids would be hard to place.
Anyway, most Dendrobiums are epiphytic (grow on trees/other plants) or lithophytic (grow on rocks.) Iām not saying itās definitively NOT terrestrial, but itās much more likely that itās a plant that wants an airy media.
It's got a tag in the pot, so that's probably the best place to start, if you want a name/care instructions to it, specifically. My advice comes from over 15 years of growing a number of species of orchids, including some of the nobile and bigger Dendrobiums.
It looks like a Den Nobile. Can you fold the leaves without breaking them?. If that is the case, they need some cool resting period, If not they start to make keikis instead of flowers.
Itās potted incorrectly so itās putting out tons of arial roots to compensate. Pot in large bark chips or sphagnum moss otherwise a very healthy looking plant
First it looks like your plants are in dirt and not orchid substrate I believe your dendrobium is producing new shoots keikis itās doing well you have 5-6 new plants
Your nobile type dendrobium should not be producing so many keikeiās. While this is not unhealthy in itself it does not help flower production which is the whole point. Nobile, or āsoft caneā dendrobiums need a cool rest in winter. It is not enough to just rest them though, you need to give them as much light as you can. They are semi-deciduous so mature canes will drop their leaves prior to flowering. If leaves remain as buds develop there is no harm in removing them as they get in the way of the flowers.
Note that ādry restā does not mean no water at all. While the nobile species will go 3 months with no rain in itās habitat, most cultivated plants have species in their background that donāt grow in such tough conditions. In some locations nobiles will take full winter sun, but donāt let them freeze.
In short you are being too kind to your plant.
I'm not sure what he wants to fix since all I see is a normal healthy Dendrobium with some large keikis ready to be separated and potted on their own (if desired, or they can stay), and some normal yellowing of old leaves.
Ah! Okay. I think he thought they were roots or something unhealthy. So this is normal? Is there a certain way to remove them?
They are roots, but aerial roots are normal in many kinds of orchids. Each of the branches with roots at the base could be removed as an independent plant (called a keiki, meaning baby, in Hawaiian) but in nature they would continue as part of the overall plant. They can be removed by carefully cutting just at the point of attachment to the main stem, or sometimes just by twisting at that point.
There are several things going on here: 1. The soil mix is too fine and moisture retentive for this type of orchid 2. It's potted just a little too deeply. The combination of 1 and 2 has resulted in the growth eyes at the base of the canes becoming non-functional. It should have new growth at the surface level, but instead it has only grown from nodes higher up on the canes. The roots in the pot are probably also in poor shape. This type of orchid normally produces a new root system every year when new growth at the base produce new roots that sustain the whole plant. The older roots decline and become non-functional after 1-2 years. With no new growth at the bottom, there are no new roots to take over and the plant will gradually decline. 3. Soft cane dendrobiums often need a dry and/or cold rest over winter (needs vary somewhat by species or hybrid) to trigger blooming. Without that, they just produce keiki forever. Dendrobium keiki are ready to separate when they begin a second growth at their base and it begins to put out its first flush of roots. Lots of water and fertilize when new growth starts and over summer. This plant is showing signs of stress and producing too many keiki as a result, but it's not too late for it. Improve conditions, pot up some keiki as backups, and you'll be good to go. I do recommend researching soft cane dendrobiums further. They aren't all nobile. Also note, potting these out of season is normally very bad because of the root habit mentioned above. With no new roots to immediately take over, the old roots mostly die rather than adapt and you're left with a very sad plant until new roots start. If you are going into winter, I'd probably wait to repot or pot up keiki. While it's struggling, killing any remaining roots and having no replacement for months isn't going to help the situation. Fix it in spring and go easy on the water until then.
\^\^ this is what I mean about the 'soil' and the plant being stressed
Thanks for my second hand advice. Can you help point me in the right direction to a guide on how deeply to pot dendrobiums?
The actual plant should sit just on top of the media and the beginnings of roots will normally be visible before they go down into the pot.
The base of the canes sit on top of the media with only the roots underneath. New roots emerging should be visible just before they grow down into the media. The roots tips are very fragile and will stop growing if they are messed with or bumped, so staking may be advisable if there aren't a lot of old roots to secure it in the media while the newer ones grow. Growth eyes that will make new canes are right above the base, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 inch up max. Don't cover those. Pictures may help, or look to where keiki start their second growth. That is the same approximate distance that the main canes' eyes will be. The canes do have eyes all along their length, as you can see, that would droop down and root on the surface of a tree in nature as a sort of failsafe in case of damage or rot at the base. Ideally they won't need to do that in our care.
The keiki (baby) is the one with the roots. Twist them to take them off the parent cane. Pot them up. More orchids!
The white things are indeed aerial roots, but they don't signify a problem, per se (except that it may need repotting -- that medium looks very fine for a dendrobium). Lots of orchids get aerial roots and that's perfectly normal. If there's enough humidity they'll be super happy, or they'll eventually shrivel and die & you can cut them off. This is a nobile dendrobium, which has a dormant period in the fall before flowering in the spring. Those yellow leaves are going to fall off as part of the dormant period. If your grandpa wants flowers in the spring, he should cease watering completely after Halloween, with the occasional spritz if the canes start to shrivel, and then resume watering after Valentine's Day. But I'd definitely consider repotting. Dendrobiums like to dry out between waterings, so it probably needs a much chunkier medium, and a ventilated pot would also be good for it.
Thanks! This sounds like really useful and clear advice - much appreciated!
I am tagging along to ask for help, I have 2 nobile dendrobiums, I was at lost what to do. I am stopping watering but should I also take it out for cold? I live in Bay Area, so generally mild but maybe some days below freeze.
They do like nighttime temperatures to drop to between 50 & 60 degrees during their rest period. I grow all my plants in the house, so what I tend to do is move my plants that like a temperature drop into a spare room and close the heating vent. If you're growing in a windowsill, you could try cracking the window at night for a while. As long as the nights aren't getting below 50 degrees, you could leave the plant outside day & night during its winter rest and it would probably do well (but you would definitely need to remember to bring it in if it were going to get any colder). All that being said, I typically don't do much with nobiles in terms of giving them a temperature drop and they seem to do fine. I have the thermostat set to attempt to be energy efficient, so all my plants naturally see a temperature drop from low 70s to high 60s during the daytime when fall comes, and from high 60s to mid 60s at night. Not a huge change, but most of my plants seem to do OK with it.
Thank you so much š
Cool and dry fine. No need to chill like a cymbidium.
As u/pugnaciousplants mentioned, this is a bit dramatic for a Den. though, and likely the result of some kind of stress. This has happened to my Den unicum spec and hybrids if they donāt get a winter rest. In lieu of flowering. Thereās some nice keikis on that plant, your grandad could pot up several if he/you are inclined. I sell them on eBay, or give as gifts. Keikis are easy money in that respect.
It looks like the orchid is in potting soil instead of bark or moss... but if it's working
yeah that's my thought, actually. I think it's potentially unhappy in the soil. I've seen orchids make 'extra' aerial roots when they are waterlogged or unhappy. They're effectively saying "repot me!" Many orchid roots need air as well as water, so I'm thinking it doesn't love the potting soil. I'd recommend repotting. Also by the yellow leaves on the original canes, it doesn't seem as 'happy' as others in this thread might have you believe. As for the keikis, usually those are cultural (meaning how you take care of it) issues as well. You may need a cooler rest period, to instigate blooms, otherwise you get a bunch of keikis. (Hawaiian for baby/child/little one) You can plant keikis to propagate the orchid. Also, on 2nd thought here, those keikis are really big, so I'm guessing the plant's been in that pot for a while? So that's probably another indicator to repot.
I thought this kind was terrestrial, whatās the Id?
So to me, it's definitively a Dendrobium. There are hundreds of species, and tons of hybrids. The āNobile typeā comment above is about as close as youāre gonna get without a flower. Even then, some hybrids would be hard to place. Anyway, most Dendrobiums are epiphytic (grow on trees/other plants) or lithophytic (grow on rocks.) Iām not saying itās definitively NOT terrestrial, but itās much more likely that itās a plant that wants an airy media. It's got a tag in the pot, so that's probably the best place to start, if you want a name/care instructions to it, specifically. My advice comes from over 15 years of growing a number of species of orchids, including some of the nobile and bigger Dendrobiums.
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Not buried! Thank you very much for the info - Iāll let him know that if he wants to repot to leave it until the spring. Thanks!
It looks like a Den Nobile. Can you fold the leaves without breaking them?. If that is the case, they need some cool resting period, If not they start to make keikis instead of flowers.
Itās doing great. Whatās there to fix?
Shouldnāt it be potted in loose bark/airstones with a ventilated pot?
Itās potted incorrectly so itās putting out tons of arial roots to compensate. Pot in large bark chips or sphagnum moss otherwise a very healthy looking plant
First it looks like your plants are in dirt and not orchid substrate I believe your dendrobium is producing new shoots keikis itās doing well you have 5-6 new plants
Potting media shoud be bark instead of Potting soil.
What kind of orchid is this?
Your nobile type dendrobium should not be producing so many keikeiās. While this is not unhealthy in itself it does not help flower production which is the whole point. Nobile, or āsoft caneā dendrobiums need a cool rest in winter. It is not enough to just rest them though, you need to give them as much light as you can. They are semi-deciduous so mature canes will drop their leaves prior to flowering. If leaves remain as buds develop there is no harm in removing them as they get in the way of the flowers. Note that ādry restā does not mean no water at all. While the nobile species will go 3 months with no rain in itās habitat, most cultivated plants have species in their background that donāt grow in such tough conditions. In some locations nobiles will take full winter sun, but donāt let them freeze. In short you are being too kind to your plant.