Care for unknown Dendrobium

[lobotomizedgoat]

I picked this up at a local botanical garden. It was sitting with some other small Dendrobiums, which all looked identical to each other, one of which was labeled as kingianum. This plant looked distinct from the rest, with shorter, thicker bulbs. It wouldn't shock me to find that it's simply a division from a different kingianum plant, but my first guess would be different species.

In any case, I'm primarily interested in care. I have it outside on a balcony that gets summer sun from sunrise to almost noon, and can shoot up to 10° F above the forecasted high by 10:30 on clear mornings (hottest this year has only been 94 F). At the moment I have the plant mostly shaded, but I'm hoping it can take some of that morning sun. I have an Ansellia, Eulophia petersii, Epipactis out there that get no cover and love it, also a Cymbidium and some reed stem Epis get a bit of extra shade. The plant is in plastic at the moment but I'll be repotting it into a slightly bigger clay pot. I've been watering it every 6 days or so.

[Roberta]

Looks to me like a Den. kingianum or hybrid (maybe with speciosum) Same care. In southern California, put it outside and ignore other than watering and fertilizing. In winter you can pretty much stop fertilizing. But otherwise, just let it do its thing. Protect from direct noonday sun but otherwise, no special care needed. I'd increase the watering frequency as long as it is warm. September and October tend to be both hot and dry, so be generous with the water, it is the time for growth and you pretty much can't over-water.

[estación seca]

Agree. Keep it always moist in growth. In that large bark outside in your climate daily watering would not harm it.