I'm in New England and have a dendrobium secundum that is in S/H
culture. It was doing well inside, enjoying South-facing windowsill
culture. I moved it outside for the summer, on the East side of the
house.

After a few weeks, we had a colder-than-usual night, and later, all the
leaves dropped off the canes (7 or so canes). None of my other
dendrobiums (mostly nobile hybrids, some kingianums, some junkers) lost
their leaves, just this one. A month and a half later, the canes are
still bare--green but bare. I checked the roots, and they are are
fine. I think the plant had decided to go dormant, even though it's
summer.

So, should I fertilize the plant and hope that it comes back to vigor
and then goes dormant again in the fall, as it is supposed to, or
should I leave it alone, giving it water but no fertilizer? Should I
bring it back in the house? This was a fairly expensive plant (pushing
$100), and I don't want to kill it.

BTW, I've had a lot more trouble with various kinds of species plants
than I have had with hybrids. Up until now, I thought that dendrobiums
were impossible to kill (getting them to flower well is another
story).

It can usually handle lower temps, but it may be the sudden drop that
shocked it. Did it have new growth? Had it already bloomed? In any case,
DON'T fertilize if there's no new growth. Keep barely moist and hopefully
new growth will appear soon. Resume fertilizing then. The old canes normally
drop leaves anyway. They are the canes that will flower for you for a number
of years. Good luck.
Gary

"dd" wrote in message
...
I'm in New England and have a dendrobium secundum that is in S/H
culture. It was doing well inside, enjoying South-facing windowsill
culture. I moved it outside for the summer, on the East side of the
house.

After a few weeks, we had a colder-than-usual night, and later, all the
leaves dropped off the canes (7 or so canes). None of my other
dendrobiums (mostly nobile hybrids, some kingianums, some junkers) lost
their leaves, just this one. A month and a half later, the canes are
still bare--green but bare. I checked the roots, and they are are
fine. I think the plant had decided to go dormant, even though it's
summer.

So, should I fertilize the plant and hope that it comes back to vigor
and then goes dormant again in the fall, as it is supposed to, or
should I leave it alone, giving it water but no fertilizer? Should I
bring it back in the house? This was a fairly expensive plant (pushing
$100), and I don't want to kill it.

BTW, I've had a lot more trouble with various kinds of species plants
than I have had with hybrids. Up until now, I thought that dendrobiums
were impossible to kill (getting them to flower well is another
story).

THANKS! It did have some new growth, and it hasn't bloomed for a
year. I will hold off on the fertilizer and keep the reservoir barely
filled and see what happens.

In article , V_coerulea
wrote:

It can usually handle lower temps, but it may be the sudden drop that
shocked it. Did it have new growth? Had it already bloomed? In any case,
DON'T fertilize if there's no new growth. Keep barely moist and hopefully
new growth will appear soon. Resume fertilizing then. The old canes normally
drop leaves anyway. They are the canes that will flower for you for a number
of years. Good luck.
Gary

"dd" wrote in message
...
I'm in New England and have a dendrobium secundum that is in S/H
culture. It was doing well inside, enjoying South-facing windowsill
culture. I moved it outside for the summer, on the East side of the
house.

After a few weeks, we had a colder-than-usual night, and later, all the
leaves dropped off the canes (7 or so canes). None of my other
dendrobiums (mostly nobile hybrids, some kingianums, some junkers) lost
their leaves, just this one. A month and a half later, the canes are
still bare--green but bare. I checked the roots, and they are are
fine. I think the plant had decided to go dormant, even though it's
summer.

So, should I fertilize the plant and hope that it comes back to vigor
and then goes dormant again in the fall, as it is supposed to, or
should I leave it alone, giving it water but no fertilizer? Should I
bring it back in the house? This was a fairly expensive plant (pushing
$100), and I don't want to kill it.

BTW, I've had a lot more trouble with various kinds of species plants
than I have had with hybrids. Up until now, I thought that dendrobiums
were impossible to kill (getting them to flower well is another
story).

THANKS! It did have some new growth, and it hasn't bloomed for a
year. I will hold off on the fertilizer and keep the reservoir barely
filled and see what happens.

In article , V_coerulea
wrote:

It can usually handle lower temps, but it may be the sudden drop that
shocked it. Did it have new growth? Had it already bloomed? In any case,
DON'T fertilize if there's no new growth. Keep barely moist and hopefully
new growth will appear soon. Resume fertilizing then. The old canes normally
drop leaves anyway. They are the canes that will flower for you for a number
of years. Good luck.
Gary

"dd" wrote in message
...
I'm in New England and have a dendrobium secundum that is in S/H
culture. It was doing well inside, enjoying South-facing windowsill
culture. I moved it outside for the summer, on the East side of the
house.

After a few weeks, we had a colder-than-usual night, and later, all the
leaves dropped off the canes (7 or so canes). None of my other
dendrobiums (mostly nobile hybrids, some kingianums, some junkers) lost
their leaves, just this one. A month and a half later, the canes are
still bare--green but bare. I checked the roots, and they are are
fine. I think the plant had decided to go dormant, even though it's
summer.

So, should I fertilize the plant and hope that it comes back to vigor
and then goes dormant again in the fall, as it is supposed to, or
should I leave it alone, giving it water but no fertilizer? Should I
bring it back in the house? This was a fairly expensive plant (pushing
$100), and I don't want to kill it.

BTW, I've had a lot more trouble with various kinds of species plants
than I have had with hybrids. Up until now, I thought that dendrobiums
were impossible to kill (getting them to flower well is another
story).

The plant has 8 canes, the tallest of which is 12" tall. It's in a
semi-hydro pot that is 5.5" tall and 4.5" wide at the top. Checking my
database, I see that had ended bloom when I bought it in early February
of 2003. It did not bloom in 2004.

Thoughout the time I've had it, it has been in a sunroom in a
south-facing window. Nobile dendrobiums in the same window did bloom,
but not with stunning gusto. (This is its first summer outdoors.) For
lighting in winter, my other options are to put in under a 400-watt MH
bulb in another south-facing window (this is an area in which I can
flower cattleyas)-- or under a bank of 4 40-watt wide-spectrum
flourescent bulbs, which in spite of manufacturers' claims, are not
that strong a month after operation--good for phals, though.

Last fall I cut back on fertilizer for several months, but when no
bloom spikes appeared, I resumed fertilizing and normal watering.

Because I put the plant in S/H culture, I can't really cut the water as
I would with bark media, because there is either water in the pot or
not, but I've tried to keep the level low.

So, from what you've written, it appears that my problem might very
well be that I'm expecting the plant to go dormant in October/November,
when it wants to go dormant later, and I should have given it more
light and no fertilizer during the winter months.

In article , V_coerulea
wrote:

How big is the plant? What size pot is ot in? Mine has about 9 or 10 18-24"
pseudobulbs (canes) that bloom in late winter/ early spring before new
growth starts. It's in an 8" clay pot and hanging. Did you reduce water this
winter? Stop fertilizing? Give maximum light? All are big factors.
Gary

"dd" wrote in message
...
THANKS! It did have some new growth, and it hasn't bloomed for a
year. I will hold off on the fertilizer and keep the reservoir barely
filled and see what happens.

In article , V_coerulea
wrote:

It can usually handle lower temps, but it may be the sudden drop that
shocked it. Did it have new growth? Had it already bloomed? In any case,
DON'T fertilize if there's no new growth. Keep barely moist and
hopefully
new growth will appear soon. Resume fertilizing then. The old canes
normally
drop leaves anyway. They are the canes that will flower for you for a
number
of years. Good luck.
Gary

"dd" wrote in message
...
I'm in New England and have a dendrobium secundum that is in S/H
culture. It was doing well inside, enjoying South-facing windowsill
culture. I moved it outside for the summer, on the East side of the
house.

After a few weeks, we had a colder-than-usual night, and later, all
the
leaves dropped off the canes (7 or so canes). None of my other
dendrobiums (mostly nobile hybrids, some kingianums, some junkers)
lost
their leaves, just this one. A month and a half later, the canes are
still bare--green but bare. I checked the roots, and they are are
fine. I think the plant had decided to go dormant, even though it's
summer.

So, should I fertilize the plant and hope that it comes back to vigor
and then goes dormant again in the fall, as it is supposed to, or
should I leave it alone, giving it water but no fertilizer? Should I
bring it back in the house? This was a fairly expensive plant
(pushing
$100), and I don't want to kill it.

BTW, I've had a lot more trouble with various kinds of species plants
than I have had with hybrids. Up until now, I thought that dendrobiums
were impossible to kill (getting them to flower well is another
story).

The plant has 8 canes, the tallest of which is 12" tall. It's in a
semi-hydro pot that is 5.5" tall and 4.5" wide at the top. Checking my
database, I see that had ended bloom when I bought it in early February
of 2003. It did not bloom in 2004.

Thoughout the time I've had it, it has been in a sunroom in a
south-facing window. Nobile dendrobiums in the same window did bloom,
but not with stunning gusto. (This is its first summer outdoors.) For
lighting in winter, my other options are to put in under a 400-watt MH
bulb in another south-facing window (this is an area in which I can
flower cattleyas)-- or under a bank of 4 40-watt wide-spectrum
flourescent bulbs, which in spite of manufacturers' claims, are not
that strong a month after operation--good for phals, though.

Last fall I cut back on fertilizer for several months, but when no
bloom spikes appeared, I resumed fertilizing and normal watering.

Because I put the plant in S/H culture, I can't really cut the water as
I would with bark media, because there is either water in the pot or
not, but I've tried to keep the level low.

So, from what you've written, it appears that my problem might very
well be that I'm expecting the plant to go dormant in October/November,
when it wants to go dormant later, and I should have given it more
light and no fertilizer during the winter months.

In article , V_coerulea
wrote:

How big is the plant? What size pot is ot in? Mine has about 9 or 10 18-24"
pseudobulbs (canes) that bloom in late winter/ early spring before new
growth starts. It's in an 8" clay pot and hanging. Did you reduce water this
winter? Stop fertilizing? Give maximum light? All are big factors.
Gary

"dd" wrote in message
...
THANKS! It did have some new growth, and it hasn't bloomed for a
year. I will hold off on the fertilizer and keep the reservoir barely
filled and see what happens.

In article , V_coerulea
wrote:

It can usually handle lower temps, but it may be the sudden drop that
shocked it. Did it have new growth? Had it already bloomed? In any case,
DON'T fertilize if there's no new growth. Keep barely moist and
hopefully
new growth will appear soon. Resume fertilizing then. The old canes
normally
drop leaves anyway. They are the canes that will flower for you for a
number
of years. Good luck.
Gary

"dd" wrote in message
...
I'm in New England and have a dendrobium secundum that is in S/H
culture. It was doing well inside, enjoying South-facing windowsill
culture. I moved it outside for the summer, on the East side of the
house.

After a few weeks, we had a colder-than-usual night, and later, all
the
leaves dropped off the canes (7 or so canes). None of my other
dendrobiums (mostly nobile hybrids, some kingianums, some junkers)
lost
their leaves, just this one. A month and a half later, the canes are
still bare--green but bare. I checked the roots, and they are are
fine. I think the plant had decided to go dormant, even though it's
summer.

So, should I fertilize the plant and hope that it comes back to vigor
and then goes dormant again in the fall, as it is supposed to, or
should I leave it alone, giving it water but no fertilizer? Should I
bring it back in the house? This was a fairly expensive plant
(pushing
$100), and I don't want to kill it.

BTW, I've had a lot more trouble with various kinds of species plants
than I have had with hybrids. Up until now, I thought that dendrobiums
were impossible to kill (getting them to flower well is another
story).

It can usually handle lower temps, but it may be the sudden drop that
shocked it. Did it have new growth? Had it already bloomed? In any case,
DON'T fertilize if there's no new growth. Keep barely moist and hopefully
new growth will appear soon. Resume fertilizing then. The old canes normally
drop leaves anyway. They are the canes that will flower for you for a number
of years. Good luck.
Gary

"dd" wrote in message
...
I'm in New England and have a dendrobium secundum that is in S/H
culture. It was doing well inside, enjoying South-facing windowsill
culture. I moved it outside for the summer, on the East side of the
house.

After a few weeks, we had a colder-than-usual night, and later, all the
leaves dropped off the canes (7 or so canes). None of my other
dendrobiums (mostly nobile hybrids, some kingianums, some junkers) lost
their leaves, just this one. A month and a half later, the canes are
still bare--green but bare. I checked the roots, and they are are
fine. I think the plant had decided to go dormant, even though it's
summer.

So, should I fertilize the plant and hope that it comes back to vigor
and then goes dormant again in the fall, as it is supposed to, or
should I leave it alone, giving it water but no fertilizer? Should I
bring it back in the house? This was a fairly expensive plant (pushing
$100), and I don't want to kill it.

BTW, I've had a lot more trouble with various kinds of species plants
than I have had with hybrids. Up until now, I thought that dendrobiums
were impossible to kill (getting them to flower well is another
story).