Orchid ID and care info needed

I was at an estate sale and picked up two types of orchids. The previous owner had a greenhouse with numerous types of orchids and had obviously really been into them. I have other epis; hoyas and epi cacti but I have no experience with orchids but couldn't resist picking up these two.

The first one with the long stems had a broken tag in the pot that looks like is says dendrobium. It is kind of hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like it is totally beyond root bound. Can anyone ID the genus and give me some basic care tips such as light, watering frequency, and fertilizing frequency? If it should be re-potted it looks like there are at least 3 separate plants should I break them apart and pull off any dead looking stuff?

The second plant with the pseudobulb did not have a tag. Any idea on the genus and tips on basic care would be appreciated. This one looks root bound but not as bad as the other one. It is kind of hard to tell from the pictures but does it look like it needs re-potting at this point?

This message was edited Mar 31, 2012 3:48 PM

This is the other orchid

The first is a Dendrobium. The second looks like it's something in the Oncidium alliance. Until someone with more knowledege comes along you can peruse thishttp://www.orchidculture.com/COD/FREE/index.html#FS1

The first is a Dendrobium, which is the genus. What species or hybrid cross is unknown. We could make guesses about the parentage if we saw it in bloom. Since you have no experience with orchids, my advice would be to not repot this year. Not knowing the lineage makes culture tips difficult. Dendrobiums have a wide range of culture needs. I would say water it when dry since, if it was the type that needed to dry off in winter to bloom it is apparently not going to do it as we'd be seeing buds by now. When you see new growth (leads) initiating at the base, pick up on the watering. This will happen as your weather warms and the days become longer.

The second is, as Carol said, Oncidium alliance (Oncidium genus and maybe a hybrid with another genus which would make it intergeneric). I can't quite see what's going on in the pot but if the mix is broken down and looks like dirt it should be repotted. Only go up one size. That new growth is in line to flower so I'd not diddle with it if the medium looks semi-chunky until after it matures and hopefully blooms.

Since you have an interest in orchids I hope you will join us. Two is enough to make you an enthusiast. I can't answer all your questions in one post but hope this helps. If anything else concerns you that is unanswered just repeat or post again.

Thanks for the ID's!

Oncidium - I removed this plant from the container to get a better look at the roots and the mix is broken down and looks like potting soil. It seems pretty root bound and there is a root mass at the bottom of the pot. I also see what appear to be new roots growing.

Dendrobium - This one is planted in a regular clay pot not an orchid pot. When you look at the surface of the pot it is pure roots. When I watered it lightly with my mister the water pooled at the top and took a long time to drain. I am worried about the drainage so should I leave it alone for now or wait to re-pot?

I went to the orchid greenhouse in my area and purchased some orchid mix from them. However, I also have semi-hydroponic supplies here for some of my succulents but I know orchid people use S/H to grow orchids. Are either of the orchids I have appropriate for S/H?

Lucky you, to hit an estate sale with orchids! They look like they've had some decent care since their owner passed on. Sometimes all you see are dead and dying at estate sales.

It might help to further ID your Dendrobium if you could read what is left of the tag, and post here for our experts to work with. In your first pic, it looks like there is a bit more tiny print on there. I've had to use a magnifying glass to read some of the orchid tags on mine.

If you read back a few threads on our monthly chats, some Dens take regular care, but some need to be given a cool, dry period in winter before they will bloom in spring. Any hint the info on the tag could give might tell us which type you have, or at least get you closer to a firm ID.

The Dendrobium looks like a nobile (pronounced no-bo-lee) hybrid, also known as "cane orchids". Here's some info. http://orchidsamore.com/tutorials/Care%20of%20Nobile%20type%20Dendrobiums.htm Other Dendrobiums have canes but Den. nobile is among the more popular Dens., grown for its numerous flowers.

I have various species Dendrobiums in a mix of hydroton and bark that do well. Mine are more in a greenhouse environment so even when cutting off water is needed the humidity is still high. They require sharp drainage in order to dry out quickly. They also like to be pot bound. If you look at the Den. fimbriatum I have been posting on the main monthly thread, it is growing in no medium in a four inch basket. Florida growers, and Bree who is in a wet part of Australia, like semi-hydro. It's great where temps are warm a lot of the year and rainfall is heavy, causing an organic mix to break down quickly. In your climate, and especially if you are growing indoors, you might be better off with an organic mix which will stay wetter longer. Regarding a repot...I'd leave it alone and immerse the plant in water for fifteen minutes so that the water gets in there. The medium is probably gone by now. If it makes you happier, after the soak you can take a hammer and smash the clay pot. Then leave the plant, unpotted, in a larger pot until you see new growth and some new roots. You can leave pot shards attached if it will damage the plant to remove them. The idea here is if you pot up before new growth and new roots can handle the additional pot size and new medium the young canes will rot. They like to initiate new growth without too much water as they are being nurtured by the old canes. This is a judicious period in growing all orchids.

* NOTE: I've edited the above a few times for clarity and hope I didn't make things more confusing. :)

Repot the oncidium after washing out as much of the old medium as possible. Swish it to loosen the roots and cut away anything obviously dead. You can gently tease open the mass with a chop stick or the like. Pot it up one pot size only.