Dendrobium laevifolium

[Tom-DE]

Den. laevifolium--A great substitute for Den. cuthbertsonii. It is an intermediate grower but you may grow it a little bit cooler or warmer.

[boytjie]

Beautiful! While most of my 'chids are happy campers, I just can't seem to please this one. It recently turned yellow and dropped most of its leaves, and a few pseudobulbs turned black. Any growing tips? Thanks!

[SP2340]

What a beauty, I love that dense cluster of flowers!

[Tom-DE]

Thanks!

Originally Posted by boytjie

Beautiful! While most of my 'chids are happy campers, I just can't seem to please this one. It recently turned yellow and dropped most of its leaves, and a few pseudobulbs turned black. Any growing tips? Thanks!

It is a semi-deciduous species, so it will/may drop some leaves over the winter, but the black pbulbs don't sound good though.

I have been grow this species on cork mount, in clay pot with straight moss or in basket and they all do fine. Just make sure you let the plant dry out lightly between waterings and good air movement as well.

[catwalker808]

These plants need a lot of moisture, but the short fibrous roots are mainly for attaching not for burying. Plants are early spring bloomers ... many times from bare canes.
However, if you can give the right conditions, you can also bloom them with full leaf and new growths.
In summer, keep them as below 83 degrees if you can ... in phalaenopsis light. If it's too bright and hot in the summer, they will sulk and leaves will shrivel. From early to mid fall (depending where you are) take the plants into bright light (with the cats) and don't let the temp go below mid 50's for more than a few days at a time. If you can do this, plants will continue growing but still bloom with lots of leaf growth. They are really nice like this.
If you can't do the fall winter part, don't worry ... the leaves will fall off as they do in nature and you will still get a cute/spectacular bloom.