dendrobiums care???

[josepi.13]

so i currently have 2 dendrobiums and a large varietyof other orchids but is there a trick to these dendrobiums? my one doesn't seem to be growing so well. i water and fert about twice a week.

[-k-]

What type of Dendrobium do you have as this will determine the cultural requirements?

[Leafmite]

For nobile orchids, I like this site: General Care
I have one and plan to follow this as soon as it is established (it was a keiki).
Phal-types: I grow mine with natural lighting which means that in the summer, they go outside and in the winter, they are by a large, south-facing window. Because my house is cool (64'F) in the winter, especially by the window at night, I have them in lava rock and net pots. In the winter, my phal-type dens get watered once every 7-8 days, soaked for a few minutes so the roots have a chance to turn green. They are quite dry between waterings. I have decent humidity from my jungle of other house plants. Once outside for the summer, we usually get quite a bit of rain but when we don't, I water (and fertilize) as soon as the rocks seem dry, giving them a good soak. That is how I grow mine.
Hopefully, others will also chime in on how they grow theirs. Under lights, or in a warmer home, with fans, the care will be different.

[syndywindy]

WE need to know what type of dens you have before we can offer you help. So if you can post a picture of your dens then we can try and get your plants going. Dendrobium is a very diverse group and its not one size fits all.

[janet_a]

lots and lots of light. mine are in a western window and they grow like weeds (both hard cane and nobile types).

[josepi.13]

well i will make sure to take photos tomorrow when im at the greenhouse. one is defintely a cane dendrobium. its a dawn maree cross. the other is called little green apples with a parent being green elf x convolutum. so tomorrow ill have pictures, i hope these help you guys

[josepi.13]

so i finally got around to taking the pictures and getting them posted on here. the first 3 are the dawn maree and the second three are of the little green apples. let me know what you think. i work in a greenhouse and that is where they are, they are under a shade cloth right now with my other orchids which all seem to be doing good.

[JudyC]

I can stand to be corrected, but the 1st photo, the Den. looks to be overpotted. From what I understand Dens love to be cramped.

[11Orchid126]

I agree with JudyC. Dens like tight shoes and those pots look too large. They look very healthy and seem to be growing well, but if you want bloom, pot them into much smaller pots, just barely enough to hold the roots and a bit more. They bloom best when top heavy.

[WindyCityOrchids]

Hi All,
First time poster... I have two dendrobiums that I just can not get to bloom for me, different plants, different problems. I have repotted both plants about 1X per year for the past two years (this was an issue with some other orchids of mine in the past).

1) My current profile photo shows a small dendrobium that I've had for several years. Two years in a row I have gotten lots of keikis in January-February, no blooms. I had read that cold and dry were good, so I moved it into my 1st floor solarium last fall. It got more light and probably was 45F at night 55-60F daytime (I live in Chicago, so even with thermal glass it isn't that warm near the solarium). I also dropped watering from every 4 days to every 10-14 days. The leaves ended up a little less healthy the second spring, but still got keikis, not flowers. What am I missing here?

2) I also have a much bigger dendrobium kingianum. Growth of canes and leaves over the last 4-5 years has been great, I've even divided it. Every spring it gets a bunch of flower spikes. And every spring the buds wither and die before they can open. In the past I kept it in my solarium. This time I moved the plants upstairs (less light, more warmth) when the canes came. I did keep them dry all winter (I've read recently that this is not a great idea for kingianum) but I did water and spritz daily once the flower spikes appeared. It helped a bit, but all that happened is the flowers wilted just before opening, rather than before they could grow to a decent size.

Again, is there something I'm doing wrong? If its more warmth or water, I can adjust. If the issue is lack of light then I'm out of luck since I'm in an urban area with lots of nearby buildings and trees. My solarium gets the most light and even that gets nothing but indirect light in the winter.

Thanks for your help!

[josepi.13]

should i just repot it immediately or wait a while? i last repotted it in like september

[JudyC]

Originally Posted by josepi.13

should i just repot it immediately or wait a while? i last repotted it in like september

If it was mine, I would repot both of them. Mine is approx. 20" high & in an approx. 3-3 1/2" clear plastic pot, so I can see what's going on with the roots.

This pot is inside another heavy pot - as 11Orchid stated they are definitely top heavy! Seated in a south facing window.

I would also not water 2x/week, till warmer weather & your seasonal growing conditions change.

You've been given some great info from others - so with that I'm sure things will turn around for ya.

*This is just my 2cents (seeing our dollars are almost par)*

[terra_australis]

I find Latourea types like your 'Little Green Apples' will take a little while to mature. Yours appears to only be a seedling so may be a little way off. Once they are established they'll send out canes readily. Don't let this one dry out completely. They like to stay a little damp even through winter. That said, they are quite hardy and will tolerate a little bit of neglect.

[Epipactis12]

I am sorry to hear about loss of buds and flowers, that is such a disappointment.

I grow my Dendrobium kingianum and friends outside here in CA. I mention this because it gets down in the 30s and 40s most nights (40s lately). The days vary between 50s and 60s right now and these plants are now blooming. I will post some pics soon. I think the temperature drop is important for these guys. I have most mounted so the roots are rapidly drained, but the ones in pots have a granite rock medium.

Water maybe once a week.

I tried to grow one indoors after reading some generalized cultural info and thinking it would be happier indoors but it never bloomed. Now outside it is blooming. So it seems like keeping it cool would be helpful.

Originally Posted by WindyCityOrchids

Hi All,
First time poster... I have two dendrobiums that I just can not get to bloom for me, different plants, different problems. I have repotted both plants about 1X per year for the past two years (this was an issue with some other orchids of mine in the past).

1) My current profile photo shows a small dendrobium that I've had for several years. Two years in a row I have gotten lots of keikis in January-February, no blooms. I had read that cold and dry were good, so I moved it into my 1st floor solarium last fall. It got more light and probably was 45F at night 55-60F daytime (I live in Chicago, so even with thermal glass it isn't that warm near the solarium). I also dropped watering from every 4 days to every 10-14 days. The leaves ended up a little less healthy the second spring, but still got keikis, not flowers. What am I missing here?

2) I also have a much bigger dendrobium kingianum. Growth of canes and leaves over the last 4-5 years has been great, I've even divided it. Every spring it gets a bunch of flower spikes. And every spring the buds wither and die before they can open. In the past I kept it in my solarium. This time I moved the plants upstairs (less light, more warmth) when the canes came. I did keep them dry all winter (I've read recently that this is not a great idea for kingianum) but I did water and spritz daily once the flower spikes appeared. It helped a bit, but all that happened is the flowers wilted just before opening, rather than before they could grow to a decent size.

Again, is there something I'm doing wrong? If its more warmth or water, I can adjust. If the issue is lack of light then I'm out of luck since I'm in an urban area with lots of nearby buildings and trees. My solarium gets the most light and even that gets nothing but indirect light in the winter.

Thanks for your help!

[Epipactis12]

blooming in SB

[terra_australis]

Originally Posted by Epipactis12

I am sorry to hear about loss of buds and flowers, that is such a disappointment.

I grow my Dendrobium kingianum and friends outside here in CA. I mention this because it gets down in the 30s and 40s most nights (40s lately). The days vary between 50s and 60s right now and these plants are now blooming. I will post some pics soon. I think the temperature drop is important for these guys. I have most mounted so the roots are rapidly drained, but the ones in pots have a granite rock medium.

Water maybe once a week.

I tried to grow one indoors after reading some generalized cultural info and thinking it would be happier indoors but it never bloomed. Now outside it is blooming. So it seems like keeping it cool would be helpful.

Yes, I'm of the opinion that temperature changes can signal a plant to initiate flowering but I think light does play a significant role when it comes to Dendrobiums. If you are growing indoors and you can't describe the room as well lit I think you'll have difficulty getting flowers. The plant may send up a couple of spikes now and then but it probalby won't put on a good show.

[josepi.13]

thank you guys for all your help! i repotted it in a smaller pot and i looks quite tight but im going off what you guys say. thanks for the help!

[WindyCityOrchids]

Thanks Epipactis12 and Dan for your comments. Sounds like I did the wrong thing. I moved the plant to an area with more warmth (not needed) and less light (needed more). I think my main concern is that if light is the issue, I'm not sure where I can place the plant to get more light. While I have south-facing windows, my home is right next to a smaller building and in February the sun doesn't get high enough to shine over the building into my windows. Maybe on the top floor I can can better light.

[Cristia]

Your dendrobium is ok down to 30 degrees? I just ordered a kingianum and i probably ought to do more research now. How hot can they handle? I live in the San Joaquin valley and it gets right toasty in the summer, but my yard is pretty protected and humid, and there are spots out of the direct sun where I can stick it...

[terra_australis]

Originally Posted by WindyCityOrchids

Thanks Epipactis12 and Dan for your comments. Sounds like I did the wrong thing. I moved the plant to an area with more warmth (not needed) and less light (needed more). I think my main concern is that if light is the issue, I'm not sure where I can place the plant to get more light. While I have south-facing windows, my home is right next to a smaller building and in February the sun doesn't get high enough to shine over the building into my windows. Maybe on the top floor I can can better light.

Yeah, both those Dends are cool growers. Den. kingianum from temperate coastal ranges of eastern Australia and 'Little Green Apples' being a hybrid mix of Den. convolutum and Den. alexandrae, both ocurring at altitude in cool cloud forests of New Guinea.

Originally Posted by Cristia

Your dendrobium is ok down to 30 degrees? I just ordered a kingianum and i probably ought to do more research now. How hot can they handle? I live in the San Joaquin valley and it gets right toasty in the summer, but my yard is pretty protected and humid, and there are spots out of the direct sun where I can stick it...

30 degrees Farenheit? Icy! No, I wouldn't recommend they get down below 50. On the other end of the scale mine endure days of 100+ occasionally in my shadehouse in summer. As long as you keep the water up to them they're fine with heat. Just be careful in full sun because they can burn, especially the new growth.

[Cristia]

awesome! I will have to try this.

[Epipactis12]

I have about 6 different clones of Dendrobium kingianum, all of which are blooming right now, and all of which experienced the temps that got down to about 33 degrees F in Dec/Jan. I just am careful not to water them much before I hear it will be super cold (for us in S CA that means the low 30s, although it gets in the higher 20s once in a few winters)....

Originally Posted by Cristia

Your dendrobium is ok down to 30 degrees? I just ordered a kingianum and i probably ought to do more research now. How hot can they handle? I live in the San Joaquin valley and it gets right toasty in the summer, but my yard is pretty protected and humid, and there are spots out of the direct sun where I can stick it...