dendrobium kingianum and delicatum

[palito]

So I just got two new plants: Dendrobium kingianum and Dendrobium x delicatum. I want to put them outside year round.

My question is , do they tolerate full sun? The location I have in mind gets full sun almost all day...

[fred]

Dendrobiums are nice orchids
here is a link to culture information from the AOS

http://www.aos.org/aos/orchids/page01.aspx

kingianum information
http://www.nhorchids.org/pages_growing/kingianum.htm

http://www.orchids.org/species/gener...num/index.html

http://www.geocities.com/macaraorchids/KingCulture.html

another very useful link
http://www.bribieislandorchidsociety...robium-orchids

[Anton]

Your kingies will love being outside all year round. Not sure about your winter though, don't think they'll tolerate snow.

Here in Adelaide we have summers similar to yours and I have mine under a large beach shade, which is open all round.

If you go to my Web site you'll see it there in the Orchid section under the subheading Cymbidiums. www.antondrew.com

They are very hardy plants and sit in amonst my cyms under that shade.

If you also go to "Orchids in Trees" on my site, I have a small video showing how delicatums grow in the wild, although these specimens are in the Adelaide Botanical Gardens. Hopefully it will give you an idea of how to set them up.

Good luck.

[kmarch]

Fred, I'm afraid the AOS culture sheet won't be of much help since it is for the Phal-type Dens.

Palito, both kingianum and delicatum are Australian native orchids and so those of us in Australia that grow these should be able to help you out.

I do not grow Den x delicatum, but I have several kingianums and a couple of kingianum hybrids. I grow them outdoors all year long here in Melbourne Australia. TEMPS: vary widely over the course of the year. In winter we have 5-10C nights and 10-15C days. In summer we have 20-25C nights and 30-35+C days. They seem to need the cool in autumn and winter to spike and they bloom in late winter (mine are in spike or blooming now). WATER: Den kingianum seems to like a lot of water. Summers here are hot and extremely dry so I have to water a lot in summer, once or twice a week (or sometimes even more). Winters are wet and humid. Usually whatever rain they get is sufficient but it rains here about 3 times a week in the winter. LIGHT: My Australian native Dendrobiums get bright indirect light all year round. I grow them in a protected area that gets no direct light but I do not use shadecloth or anythign like that. I'd describe it as bright-very bright indirect light.

I would imagine that delicatum is not much different.

Let us know if you have other questions.

Cheers!

[palito]

thanks to you all!

I got them because I read they were hardy and I am not allowed to bring any more plants in the house in winter...

I think they can take the winter in this area since we only may reach freezing on a freak day. Other than that the lowest temperature is maybe 5C.

maybe i should get more australian orchids...

Thanks again for your tips!

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by palito

Other than that the lowest temperature is maybe 5C.

maybe i should get more australian orchids...

Thanks again for your tips!

If your low temp is 5C in winter I think you'll be fine with them, probably with both of them. And of course (!!!) you should try more Australian natives!!!

Here's a short list of recommendations (of the ones on the list that I grow, I grow them all outdoors under the same conditions I described above).

Den speciosum (can tolerate quite hight light) - these get really big
Dockrilla pugioniformis
Dockrilla teretifolium
Dockrills linguiforme
Den tetragonum - easy, east bloomers, all 14 of mine are in spike now.

Also if available:
Cymbidium canaliculatum (grows here without a drop of water for about 8 months of the year - great if you're gone a lot of just don't feel like watering)
Cymbidium suave
Cymbidium maddium

Happy Aussie Native Growing!