Dendrobium lindleyi

[frostychic]

Hi

I was given a plant of this species about a year ago... it was a gift from an eBay seller that I had an issue or two with.

I thought at the time it was given to me, "What a sweet gesture..." although now that I'm fully aware of the culture it requires I'm wondering if it was really that sweet of a gesture, hahaahhaaa.

Anyways, some of you are I'm sure aware that this Dend used to be called: Dendrobium aggregatum but was renamed to what I posted in the thread title.

I'm wondering if any of you have this species and if so... depending on where you live... I was wondering when yours begins blooming? I've read that they begin in March to April and that got me thinking about what things "trigger" this species (and others that rest before blooming) to spike?

I've been pretty successful at keeping it dry. I only give it a light mist every 2-3 weeks... currently, the pb's are very shriveled but the leaves are a healthy green and I only lost one leaf of about 7 leaves... that particular pb also shriveled and turned yellow so I really think it was just it's "time" to go.

I've also given it a lot of bright indirect light and no fertilizer since late fall 2009. The part I've struggled with is the low nightly temps. I don't have a "happy medium" between my indoor temps and the freezing outdoor temps... the best I could do was hang this little cutie in my mud room and that was only warm enough (yet it was a very cool room) to house it from about December 1st thru January 1st... since then the nighttime temps that it's experienced in my SW window have been around 68F and daytime around 75F (sometimes higher, but never above 80F).

So everywhere I've read regarding the culture of this species it says little to no water until you see the spikes emerge... well, I'm not sure if I'll see spikes since I couldn't keep the night temps down and I'm wondering how it "knows" to begin flowering?

My best guess is that the total number of hours of daylight and the fact that the days are getting longer has something to do with "triggering" this dend to bloom.

Do you have one of these species?

Do you know much about this species?

I'd love to read your experience with regards to culture of this dend.

Thanks in advance!

[frostychic]

[madphrag]

I'm curious about this myself. This one is close to the top of my must have list.

[sruane]

Here's a thread I recently responded to about this plant, you can check it out and see if it answers some of your questions Dendrobium aggregatum rest????

I might suggest giving it a bit more water, I let mine soak every 2-3 weeks for 5 min and it gets misted a bit in between. It lost too many leaves when I let it get really dry a previous year.

[tansyflower]

I have one, but I didn't give it a rest. I water it once a week.

It is also mounted. It flowered for me. I think it was in late spring. The spike sort of emerged out of nowhere, and was about 8 inches long with buds before I even noticed it.

However I grow outside in the subtropics, so my growing conditions are different to yours.

[frostychic]

Hi kids... thanks for your replies.

Tansy... I know you are in a different region and your growing conditions are much different than mine are. Please tell me what your outdoor "winter" temps are like (highs & lows) as I can get a little bit of "experience" thata way!

Also... is it rainy during your winter months? You mentioned you grow this little cutie outside... do you have it in a basket or mounted or

Inquiring minds want to know

[PocoGigio]

I have one of these in my collection. It is in a shallow 8" clay pot with bark. It's a large plant - about 3-4 dozen psuedobulbs. Last year I didn't give it the dry treatment (didn't know I should) and it bloomed just about off of every bulb in Feb. This year I gave it the dry treatment but ran the mist wand over it briefly every day. It's mentally hard to let the dendrobs dry out. They did shrivel a bit. Since Jan 1, I have been increasing the lights in the greenroom by 1 hr every couple weeks. The light are now on 6am-9pm. The temperatures ranged from a 55-60 degree night to about a 65-70 degree day. The lights provide the heat so the longer light time has been increasing the day temp. It's up to about 75 midday til the light go out. I started watering and fertilizing again the 1st of Feb after 2 months of the dry treatment. (I didn't quite let mine shrivel as much as your picture shows) The spikes are now starting to come out from the side of the pseudobulb about midway. It seems that they come out a couple a day - not all at once. At this rate, it should start blooming in about a week and keep up for a month or more.
Bottom line - last year I didn't give it the dry treatment and it bloomed beautifully in Feb. This year I did give it the dry treatment and it will bloom in March. I'm not sure if it really matters!

[heatherm]

I have one too. Had it for about 2 yrs and just like you know flowers. You gave me some information though....I did not realise it needed it to be so dry, so I'll know what to do and I'll let you know what happens if I get it to flower.

[frostychic]

Ok... I'm super excited

I believe I have 3 flower spikes starting!!!

Yesterday was a glorious spring day here in Indiana with the temps in my area peaking at about 61F (and for those of us in the midwest that was WARM!!!) so I took a couple of my cool weather loving chids outside... including this one & when I did I got all up close & personal with it & saw three new something or others starting. I don't think they are new PB's but rather, flower spikes!!!

Only time will tell but I will now begin regular watering & fertilizing this little cutie...

Photos soon come!

[lmartiny]

I've got one that is about to bloom. It did not bloom last year and then I learned to give it a dry spell. I was told by the grower to stop water around Nov to Dec. I stopped sometime in Dec. but it did get a bit of water. It has been hanging in the GH with temps fluctuating from 50's to 70's for the most part.

[cerastes]

I have grown this species for many years in an east facing greenhouse. I hang the plants high in the greenhouse where they get plenty of light. This means nighttime temperatures are around 70 degrees F once the heat goes on in the fall through spring. The heat is turned off in the spring once nighttime temperatures reach 55 degrees F. I withhold water only for the month of December otherwise I water once a week until new growth appears. I stop fertilizing in September and do not feed again until new growth initiates. With this regimen plants usually bloom in January or February. However, in 2009 they did not bloom until July (in the greenhouse) and August (outside hanging in a tree). I do not know what happened last year.

I'll try to attach a photo.

[ysanabria]

Mine just bloom!! I live in Miami Beach, so they get plenty of light and I have it mounted. I dont water my dens from mid Dec. to Feb. but if it rains they get wet
Here are some pics!!

[lmartiny]

Beautiful. I am anticipating my bloom. But have had ants and looks like a couple of bud blast. I sprayed. I may have hurt it. We'll see.

[frostychic]

Those blooms are so beautiful ... they don't even look real. I can't hardly wait for mine to do their thing & staying hopeful that it's a bloom spike I'm seeing.

[heatherm]

Thank you Ysanbria. Your pictures renewed my desire to see my plant flower. I live in the Caribbean. Wish me luck! Thank you for any tips. My plant is outside and it is always warm here.

[frostychic]

Good News!

More than a year later & it has a bloom spike!

I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited!!!

I seriously was about to give up on this chid & find a new home for it. I guess either:

1. The plant finally matured enough to bloom...
2. I finally learned correct culture for it...
3. Combination of both #1 & #2...

WaaaaaHoooo!!!