New at these! Latourii Dend question.

[Optimist]

I have one Dendrobium, a C. K. Ai "Aka" X Canniliculatum. It is growing like wild once I found they are water hogs.

I just got a "gift box" one of those boxes that growers use to get rid of stuff that dosen't sell maybe? I got 4 orchids, and 2 were Species Latouria type dendrobiums. Dend. Atroviolicia (Compact), and Dend. Aberrans X sib.

I'll likely kill them.
First, they are not water monsters like the C. K. Ai. They like to grow in rocks and have a lot of drainage right away. They are the orchids that want to be dry quickly but on the other hand seem to want to be living in mist.

So my question, what is the best type of mister to use. Should I hang them in little net pots over a mist stream?

[estación seca]

Your information is partly incorrect. Air at the roots, yes. Dry out, never. Always moist to wet. Mist unnecessary.

[mook1178]

Latouria are huge water hogs. When my Micro Chip was in Sphag moss it was happiest in the summer. That got to be too much in the winter though. I am now mixing bark and moss in hopes to even it out.

[jcec1]

I have a few of these and water twice a week, they are in small bark, I reckon you will need to water more frequently.

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Just a thought, how about s/h? Would this plant do well in that culture?

[PlumCrazy]

Ooooo!!! I want a gift box!!

I have a Dendrobium atroviolicia (aka normanbyense) in my orchidarium. It is mounted. I've only had it since last March, but it seems pretty happy. It had a couple of fading blooms on it when it arrived, and bloomed for me in middle of this January. The blooms are still going strong. I am giving it very high light, and the humidity levels stay at 80% plus. Where it is, water tends to sit on its roots for at least a few hours a day, but then it does dry out until it gets watered the next day.

I also have a Dendrobium aberrans in there. Same thing with the water, but I have it further from the lights, and it where it is, it dries out faster. Hard to judge how it's doing since it just arrived in July, in bloom. The blooms lasted a couple of months, and it just rebloomed a couple of weeks ago. It came from Ecuagenera, so it's probably going through a lot of adjustments.

Sorry - maybe that's not so helpful if you are growing it windowsill style... but I guess the point is mine tolerate being wet for awhile every day. I've never tried s/h, but think that might be something to look into.

[Optimist]

I think that every one answered similarly. I am in a very arid climate here. We rarely get over 40% humidity. The C. K. Aka is in Semi Hydro. So, I am being told the atroviolicia and even aberenes need way more water than the AOS says. Where is the "invisible" normal for AOS. What city is this normal located in?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Optimist

I think that every one answered similarly. I am in a very arid climate here. We rarely get over 40% humidity. The C. K. Aka is in Semi Hydro. So, I am being told the atroviolicia and even aberenes need way more water than the AOS says. Where is the "invisible" normal for AOS. What city is this normal located in?

I have found their culture sheets to have a south Florida bias. They are pretty useless where I live too, (I have written my own for the "Orchids 101" classes that I present at shows and club meetings)

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I have found their culture sheets to have a south Florida bias. They are pretty useless where I live too, ....

From middle of US, Kansas, same here.

---------- Post added at 09:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Dusty Ol' Man

Just a thought, how about s/h? Would this plant do well in that culture?

They do for me. I believe it's more one's environment and particular culture that dictate whether the plant will grow in semi-hydro, not the plant itself.

[estación seca]

When you buy a Latouria it will have a relatively shallow root system. Placed into a typical S/H container it will take a while for it to root into the always-moist zone. It will be very important to water it frequently. Daily would be good.