Dendrobium kingianums

[Leisurely]

I have had the first plant for years. It fills an eight inch pot and the only blooms that I have ever gotten are on small keikis. The large canes make the beginning of spikes and when they about 3/4" they dry up. I would get rid of it but I like the flower so well that getting just a few makes it worth growing.

The second plant is a miniature that produces growths that are about 5" tall. This is the only spike with open flowers. There are three more showing on the other growths so if they make it, it should be in bloom for a while. The flowers on the small plant are actually larger tlhan those on the large plant.

The third plant is Den. pierardii. A reliable bloomer. Mine is a little early this year. My parishii and loddigesii are just starting to break buds.

[nutgirl]

Originally Posted by Leisurely

I have had the first plant for years. It fills an eight inch pot and the only blooms that I have ever gotten are on small keikis. The large canes make the beginning of spikes and when they about 3/4" they dry up. I would get rid of it but I like the flower so well that getting just a few makes it worth growing.

Boy, does that sound familiar.

Beautiful Den. pierardii!!!!


Maureen

[cbuchman]

My Kingianum is the most reliable bloomer I have - I wish I know what what my secret is because I typically don't do well with Dens.

[DelawareJim]

I can relate! Mine bloomed for the first time since I got it as handful if keikis 3 years ago. It grows great but it's really tough getting it to flower. This year I didn't bring it in until temps fell into the mid 30's and then I kept it in the garage. I think that did the trick.


I like the colours on yours. Mine's a fairly even medium pink.



Cheers.
Jim

[bethmarie]

I've also heard that a significant temp drop in fall and winter are critical for Kingianums to bloom well. Kind of wish I'd know that before....I just got my first two and I grow inside under lights, so a prolonged temperature drop is hard to manufacture. I've done it this year for Den. loddigesii by putting it in the garage overnight, but hauling a bunch of orchids in and out daily isn't likely to happen. I am an indentured orchid servant... but I do have a limit or two. Maybe.

[Leisurely]

It seems that the more difficult it is to get a certain plant to bloom the more popular it becomes. We tend to loose interest in many of those easy to bloom plants. I guess it is the challenge involved. Plants are referred to as weeds when they are prolific and spread all over the landscape. We could probably bloom everything well if we just put all of the necessary effort into it. I think I must like to keep on trying as long as I can see, at least, some results.

[WhiteRabbit]

Yup, it's been my understanding they like to be rather cool in winter, and slightly drier than while growing.

Mine stay outside all year in the SF bay area, sheltered from frost, freeze, cold rain. Winter night time lows range from low 30s to mid 40s (usually). Mine typically starts to show nodes swelling by late summer / early fall, so night temps of lower 50s MAY be sufficient, but I don't know for certain Still getting a fair amount of water at that point as well, so I don't know how important the reduced water in winter may be...

[euplusia]

Congrats to your spectacular pierardii.
And being from Australia, kingianum flowers best with a prolonged rest period in winter, with as much light as possible, but low temperatures (like Masdevallias and Odontoglossum), and kept dry for several months.

[Leisurely]

You know, I tried all of those things with the larger plant and was never successful in getting flowers. The small plant is blooming now without any rest, reduced temps and water. It has received regular water all winter and the thermostat in the greenhouse where it grows, along with everything else, it set at 55F. I kind of believe that some plants inherently blooms better and easier than others. For the same reason that some clones are much better than others.

.

---------- Post added at 09:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 PM ----------

Originally Posted by euplusia

Congrats to your spectacular pierardii.
And being from Australia, kingianum flowers best with a prolonged rest period in winter, with as much light as possible, but low temperatures (like Masdevallias and Odontoglossum), and kept dry for several months.

I have a larger pierardii still in bud that I will post a picture of when it blooms.