I need some expert advice from those who grow Dendrobiums. Though my main interest is the Cattleya Alliance orchids, I decided to expand my species by purchasing Dendrobium plugs a few months ago. I started with 30 plugs and three varieties. The plugs came from my grower in Maui where I but my Cattleya plugs from. Anyway, I potted them up in 2-3" pots the same as I do with my Cattleyas, in a mix of fine Douglas fir bark, fine coconut chunks, and fine horticultural charcoal. Most of them appeared to be well-rooted plugs, though I admit I did not check on the roots at the time I potted them up. Mistake one! Anyway, after three months it was time to check on the progress of these Dendrobiums, and I unpotted them. Every single one, and I do mean all 30 plants, had roots that were completely dead and no new, viable roots are evident.. I cut away all the dead roots, leaving only about 1/4" nubs at the base of the plants. Some of the tops are still green though a few are showing yellowing.

Is there anything I can do to salvage these plants? I have never had this happen with over 200 Cattleyas started from plugs and am lost as to what to do. Ken in Mississippi

My dens do not like being potted deep, so the end where roots come out are just by the surface of the media, so I have to stake the cane till the roots grow and anchor themselves. I either use some bark mix and hydroton rocks, and they love it there. And they really thrive in very bright full sun.

Dendrobium nobile was my first orchid. It is about 20 years old. And I have always find it very easy to grow.
I have it in a wooden basket filled with bark and charcoal . I grow it outdoors. But we have mild Winters here. It does never snow and we only have a few days with temperatures below freezing.
During the Winter it stays in a sunny place and I don't water it or fertilize it. I just forget about it.
I begin to water and fertilize it during the Spring. And I water it every day during the Summer.
This is one of the pictures I have. It was taken two or three years ago.

Thanks, everyone. Ceci, I too have a very large, very old Dendrobium, and it has never missed a beat, flowering every years with multiple spikes similar to yours. It has now been in constant bloom for over three months and still has unopened buds.

Tarev, these Dens were all potted with their cane/canes just at or above the bark mixture. That's one reason I didn't trim their roots when they arrived. This enables me to anchor the root without burying the cane(s). Though I mist my plants every few days, and they are all in my orchid greenhouse, I don't over-water the newly potted plugs and thus their potting medium stays on the dry side. I just don't know. I have contacted my grower in Maui, told them what happened, and asked for advice. Ken

Maybe your dens were just on their winter mode..hopefully they come back now for you in Spring.

Time will tell. Thanks for your response. Ken

Reading carefully your first post. You mention that you didn't check on the roots when you potted up the plugs. Where they perhaps wrapped in Sphagnum?

No Ursula, I received these as plug plants. They are grown in some kind of friable, spongy material but this material is dry when received. I just remove what's left of it from the roots. It flicks off easily when dry. All of their plug plants that I have received are grown in the same material, Cattleya for example. Each variety is wrapped up in newspaper and they are closer to bare-root when received. Ken

Well, there goes my idea...

Hey, keep your "thinking-cap" on. You probably have the answer somewhere. Ken