Dendrobium laterale blooming

[harpspiel]

I got this from Andy's at the beginning of December, excited that it's blooming in the first year. It smells wonderful, but definitely not like cinnamon (Andy's description), and you have to get really close:

[neophyte]

Lovely! Scent is definitely quite variable, not only between plants but also the people smelling the flower! How would you describe it?

[Roberta]

That is totally cute!

[harpspiel]

Originally Posted by neophyte

Lovely! Scent is definitely quite variable, not only between plants but also the people smelling the flower! How would you describe it?

Let’s see, I would call it a heavy floral, but not sickly-sweet. Like a mature rose, not rose geranium which is often used to give a really light green “rose” scent in perfumes, but actual rose.

[Orchidtinkerer]

wow, that looks tricky to grow - or to keep it watered.

Very nice, thanks for showing as I would never be able to grow this one but I am tempted seeing it. Can you let us know how long yours blooms for. I'd really appreciate knowing. Dome of my dendrobiums only flower for a week or 2 so if this is a hort flowering one that would stop me spending more lol.

[harpspiel]

Originally Posted by Orchidtinkerer

wow, that looks tricky to grow - or to keep it watered.

Very nice, thanks for showing as I would never be able to grow this one but I am tempted seeing it. Can you let us know how long yours blooms for. I'd really appreciate knowing. Dome of my dendrobiums only flower for a week or 2 so if this is a hort flowering one that would stop me spending more lol.

It’s been blooming for 11 days, but since this is the first time for me I’m not sure whether it’s one of those Dendrobiums that stays in bloom for months or not.

I’m not sure why it looks tricky. It’s supposed to be deciduous but never dropped the last two leaves. Andy said very bright, drier in the winter. Right now I have it high up in my paludarium where it gets Cattleya light and gets misted multiple times a day but dries off quickly. I’ll move it somewhere wetter in summer.

[Roberta]

Just a hint on how it was growing at Andy's... Plants get their locations based on temperature and light needs. He has greenhouses and shade houses to manage different temperature ranges (warm, intermediate, cool/ambient), and light is determined pretty much by height... on the bench or one of two or three levels of racks above them. Within those growing areas, everything gets watered pretty much the same... he would water everything less in winter because things dry out more slowly, but beyond that nothing gets separated. (With something like 750,000 plants and a small staff, not possible to give individual seasonal handling to each one) Mounted plants with little or no moss are dry within a few hours even if watered every couple of days. The setup works... he grows an incredible variety of plants, and has found the acceptable compromises to make it all work. I have learned a lot wandering around there, it's an amazing place.