Recommendations for growing different species?

[kim2chee]

Hi all,

I have the following orchids in my office and I am not an orchid grower.
- Dendrobium sulawesiense
- Cymbidium Ensifolium
- Dendrobium Green Elf
- Pleurothallis Wagneri

The cymbidium I placed outdoors as I was told it is an outdoor plant. The three others I placed on top of a big shallow water bowl with stones underneath so the pots are not soaked in water. I water them once a week, and I sometimes leave them to dry out. They so far are still alive, with one of the dendrobiums spouting roots in 3 places. My office is kept at around 72 degrees F, near the door so air comes in, near a window but not directly so the plants have indirect light.

I have no idea how to care for pleurothallis and sulawesiense which is so tiny and cute (I got them as gifts.) Can you please recommend any good materials or info about care for these? They look so delicate!

Thanks,

Kimmy

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Baker has sulawesiense listed as glomeratum. Low light like Phals, but other wise like warm growing Dens, plenty of water while growing, tho not soggy, and let them just barely dry out in winter, 2-3 months, while not growing. Pleurothalises usually are kept moist, and with low light. The Green Elf is a primary hybrid between alexandrae and convolutum. They both look like they would like a little more light than Phals and both should not be allowed to dry out. Cynthia

[jerrymeola]

For someone who is not an Orchid grower you certainly have a collectors assortment.

It looks like whoever bought these for you was at an Orchid Society show and liked the unusual.

Dendrobiums in general are easy to grow but these are unique. All species Dendrobiums like the sulawesiense can take special growing conditions and the Green Elf cross is a laturia hybrid with both parents coming from New Guinea. Both of these can take much longer to bloom the first time then common dens but are well worth the wait.

I grow a lot of laturia dens and am constantly asking different growers how they flower them. Answers - lots of water in the winter - no water in the winter - fertilize year round - starve in winter - High light - low light
You get the point. These are other commercial growers who are giving me their honest beliefs. Even my suppliers give me different answers. What works for one may not work for another.

Offices are not a good growing situation and you might want to consider growing them outdoors and bring indoors when in flower.

Still quite a selection and worth waiting for blooms.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

For the Cymbidium, you may want to look it up on this site,
http://www.orchidspecies.com/#sec1
You can look up the other species as well. There is some culture information, but I like to cross check this info by using google and and the internet, as there are a number of errors on the orchidspecies site. Cynthia

[kim2chee]

Hi, I will read through each reply carefully.

Jerry, you deduced correctly. My friends got the small orchids from an auction! Then they gave it to me...I like gardening but nowhere near orchid growing, species and all. (lol)

I'm going to try Cynthia's formula...moist, low light, medium light and dry out a little. I'm going to make labels for each of the plants.

I will keep you updated. Thanks for the info again.

- kimmy