Dendrobium Golden Aya questions

[}{ead$hot Zod]

I recently received a Golden Aya. The plant measures 19 inches tall and 17 inches at its widest point.

The previous owner stated that "Den. Golden Aya did not like the last media it was in at all. I would put it in something that drains/drys very quickly. Personally, I would hang it upside down since its canes fight to be pendulous, as do its spikes".

What do think would be the best way to deal with this thing? Clay pot with a clip so its on an angle? Thanks!

I saw this pic online of somebody else's

Golden Aya scroll down

[catwalker808]

The parent species of Golden Aya (aphrodite and capillipes) are both deciduous (losing all or most of their leaves during a cool winter) and their canes are pendant (in nature, they would be attached to a branch and dangle downward.

Growing them dangling downward is not a problem. Growing them dangling, blooming them and trying to enjoy or show the blooms, however, is a difficult maneuver, since there are many flower spikes and they come off nearly perpendicular to the canes.

Probably the best compromise for growing, blooming and exhibiting is in a good sized pot with clips of stakes for the canes. The plant needs very good drainage. From dead looking after-bloom canes, plants will experience vigorous growth in summer. As canes mature in late summer to early fall, they will fatten, but the bases will remain slender. Canes will be heavy and require staking. Occasional watering is still necessary, but no fertilizer from October on.

In winter, when plants experience mid 50's to low 60's, leaves will drop off and "bumps" will emerge at the nodes on the the upper half of canes. It takes about 2 months for the spikes to develop and flowers to bloom. The best blooming growths are few, large and very fat canes

Note. The photo you have posted shows lots of very small slender growths, many aerial keikis and no fat canes. Also, there are no apparent old spikes. This may be due to low light growth and fertilizing at the wrong time of the year. Instead of blooming, the plant, instead, produced keikis from the nodes where it should have bloomed.

[}{ead$hot Zod]

I'll try to post a better pic after the weekend. That pic is neater then what I received. Then I'll be able to take some better close ups of it. I'm in Jersey so it will definitely get the low temps it needs. What kind of outside light should I be giving it now?

I would be in interested in growing them downward or however you feel is best. I can build just about anything it could possibly need.

[catwalker808]

It's late summer already, but you could stii get another month, maybe 2 months of growth. Give as much light as you can without burning. When terminal growth stops, that's it. Then canes will fatten. Continue to give as much light as you can. In NJ, you should initiate maybe Dec and bloom Feb or Mar.
The clay pot approach is the neatest and easiest. If you go with a basket or other pendant approach, you would have to hang it when growing and fabricate a stand for showing the flowers blooming from the dangling canes. That would be artistic, but would take up a lot of space. Good Luck.

[}{ead$hot Zod]

thanks.....

[LauraN]

I have mine mounted on cypress.