Dendrochilum glumaceum

[gravotrope]

These are apparently widely cultivated and easy to grow and flower, and yet different than most other Dendrochilums if what I've been reading is correct.

They push inflourescences out of immature plants in the spring, or year round if cultured correctly.

I have had mine for over a year and I've tried everything to get it to bloom to no avail. I've tried more light, less light, more water, less water, more food, less food, etc. And since it is widespread that means it adapts and thrives in lots of different cultural situations.

This past winter I kept it dry dry dry and the new growth isn't blooming or anything. What am I doing wrong?

[WhiteRabbit]

[jeremiah.chua]

I wish I had an answer. I've had mine for slightly over a year now. When I purchased it, it was already in bloom. When the blooms ended, it went idle for over a year and just last month, it started producing new growths. New growths started near the end of winter. I don't see any spikes/inflorescence forming unfortunately, which worries me because I really, really, really love their flowers and scent. Some of the new growth are already about 6 inches tall from bulb to leaf tip.

[Maryanne]

For D. glumaceum-
have you tried a cooling period at the end of summer and begining of Fall? I have had mine over 5 years, and it blossoms regularly late spring.
I keep it outside for the summer so it gets natural filtered light, rain water and hosing off, lots of organic fertilizer during growth period. Then in Fall it is allowed to cool before coming inside, dry rest with only light watering, quite cool temps down to 45 F during the winter.

I have also noticed there are a couple of different strains of this species. Mine is quite small and compact, slow growing, later blooming. Another I've seen at shows, is much larger proportioned and is blooming in February. Don't know if this is a cultural difference.

Good luck!
ML in WMass

[gravotrope]

Western Mass must have the right amount of cooling...since Ddc. glumaceum has adapted to a habitat a mile above sea level.

They grow widespread in the Philippines and prefer to grow near rivers and pockets of higher humidity forest. So here is a species from a cloud forest that I saw and thought...hey I'll grow this one, it'll be great...because that other one from the Columbian cloud forest came out so well...(which was that it bloomed two blooms then blasted because it dried out while I was away and then started to rot halfway through the summer but recovered in a new plastic pot.) The only advantage I can come up with to fit culturally is to grow them in a clay pot because that will expose the plant to cooler temperatures, so I grow it in a 5" clay pot with a hole in the bottom, surrounded by some bark chips and coconut fiber.
Last month it became very windy and the plant started lifting out of its pot...trying to fly home I guess. So I put it back in with cedar mulch and now I culture it on a trellis like a mounted plant. I can tell it grows best in morning/afternoon +60% sun but also does well in 50% all day. When it's growing (which has been constantly) I water it like a vanda to make sure the leaf tips don't wrinkle. I don't feed it like a Vanda though...I grow it with less because it is miniature...maybe that is the issue? Now I will try and keep it even cooler and see if that works.