Dendrobium loddigesii in midlantic

[Sharry]

A recent orchid acquisition has been Dendrobium loddigesii. When can a Maryland resident expect the leaves to drop? And when do they grow back in?

[Bud]

Sometimes the leaves will not drop at all but you still must give it winter rest. But normally it will drop leaves and its a sure signal for winter rest.
If the leaves don't drop then from December 15 all the way through end of February do not give fertilizer. Do not water at all but a light misting every week will not desiccate the canes. In its native habitat there is no rains at all during these months but the morning dew gives it moisture. If you stick to this rest period you will have more flowers or else if you give in and water it during rest; it will produce keikis instead. Bright light is necessary; in fact in giving it winter rest you must also give it very bright light. In winter the leaves up the trees are gone so the plant in situ is exposed to direct sun.
When the buds appear start regular watering and fertilizer....the leaves will also appear again together with some keikis.

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[Sharry]

Thank you Bud for the detailed reply.

[kindrag23]

Thanks I was wondering about mine myself! Gracias!

[gnathaniel]

Hi Sharry, nice choice! This is one of my favorite species. It's hard to answer your question about when leaves fall because it really depends on your individual plant and on how cool and dry you grow it in the winter.

I will say that I've never noticed a difference in number or quality of flowers whether I keep my loddigesii bone-dry or watered throughout the winter, but it does grow much better when I water enough to retain leaves on the most recent generation of growths, which year-by-year leads to a bigger plant and better flowering. Concerning 'keikis,' these are a normal and expected part of loddigesii's viny growth habit and their occurrence seems unrelated to winter moisture (ie in most clones they'll happen no matter what).

When nights consistently drop below about 50-55 F (maybe as late as Thanksgiving for me, probably earlier for you) I'll go to winter watering, which is usually once or twice a week, basically letting the plant get just dry between whereas right now I don't let it dry out much at all. When I see new growths appear in the spring I cut back water a little more as they're prone to rot if they get wet, but once they start pushing a few roots I ramp it up to summer levels pretty quickly.

Cooler temperatures seem to be the primary blooming cue for this and many related species, though dropping overall moisture somewhat probably helps the bloom-inducing hormones rise to critical concentrations at bud sites more quickly.

This is just what works for me and may need adjustment for your conditions and growing style. A good source of info for any orchid species is the Bakers' culture sheets, a bargain at $1 or less apiece. Hope this helps!

[Sharry]

Thank you Nat: I allways liked the look of the blooming leafless canes on deciduous pendent dends; then there was this l little cute [pink one blooming at the US Botanic Gardens.

So the leaf drop is a response to drier conditions not the signal to start withholding water (as maybe with a bonsai plant)... I did not realize that they liked to be moist in the growth season. Fortunately it is hanging outside in a bush right now; it will probably stay warm enough until October or so.

Thanks for the tip about Bakers culture sheets.