Dendrochilum wenzelii

[JaynetLee]

That's an amazing plant. I just got my first a couple of months ago. I'm wondering if I need to put into a clay pot or keep it in the basket. Just curious as to what medium do you have in the clay pot? I would love to have mine looking as good as when I got it.

[Roberta]

I moved this post to its own new thread, since the original thread was 11 years old (so few if any of the posters are still active) That way, your post is more likely to get noticed and receive some responses.

[Roberta]

[voyager]

[Reposted in proper thread]

Dendrochilum wenzelii

If you can keep it humid, it should thrive at household temps with moderate to almost bright light.
I believe it should do OK in lower winter light levels when offset by the longer summer days.
I had very good luck with orchids in Alaska where daylight ranged from 5 to 19 hours per day [winter/summer].
The plant has a lot of potential to be something to be proud of.
Both of these pics have been posted here before in other threads.

Bought this one in 2014.
It was already what could be considered a fairly large plant by mainland growers.
As a new immigrant to Hawaii, I was impressed.
Now it looks kinda puny.
I believe it was in bloom when I bought it a year before this photo was taken [12/2015].
I was very pleased with its size at the time.
I had just remounted it to this 12"X12" raft on top of a big handfull of Chilean moss.



Same plant on the same mount with the same handfull of Chilean moss 5 years later, [01/2021].
Just rehung, or moved it every once in a while for something to do and to look it over.

We're on the Big Island in the middle of the Pacific @ 20°N.
Temps run as low as about 65°F in the winter and go into the high 90's on a warm summer day.
We're at 750' of elevation, moderating our climate when compared to sealevel areas.
Humidity runs from 90 to 100% almost every night giving us light to heavy dew almost every morning with moderate to heavy rainfall periods through the year.
It hangs from a lower branch or sits on a rock wall under a non deciduous Geometry Tree with very thick leaves in heavy to moderate shade getting some direct early to mid morning sun.
The plant does get drier periods but the moss never dries out and gets hard.

I rarely fertilize it.
Once or twice a year, just to feel like I'm doing something.
A house plant version could use a bit more attention.

I was a Dendrobium fanatic in Alaska, never considered Dendrochilums or Vandas worth trying.
My attitude has changed.

[DeaC]

That raft mount is a good idea. Beautiful plant.

[JungleJo]

Bravo!

[voyager]

@ DeaC
I made the mount.
Back in the mid 60's, in my early 20's I lived out on the Olympic Penninsula in a Town called Forks.
I worked in shake and shingle mills.
I gained a very high regard for cedar wood.
Especially old growth cedar, which I understand is now all gone, except for what still stands within the National Park.

I saved several boards of old growth cedar for years.
I finally used a table saw to cut several of those boards into strips to make the mounts from.
I have a pile of 6"and 12" rafts, 1 board and several strips still saved.

I can get Redwood boards locally.
Using its red heartwood, it seem to work almost as well as the O/G cedar.

[DeaC]

Seeing how shallow those roots are, it's the perfect "pot". You sound like such a Renaissance Man, living and working(or now playing) in most interesting areas. Enjoy your best life!

[voyager]

I use these rafts for all my orchid growing.
They can be adapted to immitate just about any condition an orchid could find desirable when growing on a tree, a cliff face, or whatever.