Dendrobium kingianum exploding with blooms

[NYCorchidman]

Fabulous!

These are very cold hardy and blooms better with cold winter, just not freezing.
The one that died at upper 30s is rather unheard of to me. Perhaps kept a bit too wet and rotted out?

[nutgirl]

Beautiful! I like the way the flowers cascade.

Maureen

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

Fabulous!

These are very cold hardy and blooms better with cold winter, just not freezing.
The one that died at upper 30s is rather unheard of to me. Perhaps kept a bit too wet and rotted out?

Thanks

---------- Post added at 05:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:59 PM ----------

Originally Posted by nutgirl

Beautiful! I like the way the flowers cascade.

Maureen

Thanks Maureen

I like that, too - I guess it's because I grow this under an overhang, so the spikes grow towards the light, and then when the flowers open, the weight causes them to cascade like this (since all the others I see always have upright spikes, it's the only thing I can think of)

[Glenda]

Beautiful! I am sooo jealous! I love the scent of D. kingianum, but mine blooms sparsely and many of the buds blast, even though it is growing like gangbusters.
I think I know why I'm getting keikis (I will give it a low nitrogen fertilizer.)

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by Glenda

Beautiful! I am sooo jealous! I love the scent of D. kingianum, but mine blooms sparsely and many of the buds blast, even though it is growing like gangbusters.
I think I know why I'm getting keikis (I will give it a low nitrogen fertilizer.)

What's your winter condition like for your Den. kingianum?

A lot of light and cold winter are essential for abundant blooming for this species.

[nutgirl]

Originally Posted by Glenda

Beautiful! I am sooo jealous! I love the scent of D. kingianum, but mine blooms sparsely and many of the buds blast, even though it is growing like gangbusters.
I think I know why I'm getting keikis (I will give it a low nitrogen fertilizer.)

I had bud blast because they got too hot around the time they were forming. (I grew them in a greenhouse during winter and we always seemed to get a warm spell around the first of Feb. which created temps 85+).

Once I moved them outside with my Cymbidiums for the winter and only worried about frost protection they did great. I realize you have different temps but they don't seem to do well with abrupt warm temps and liked the cool/cold temps better.

Maureen

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Glenda

Beautiful! I am sooo jealous! I love the scent of D. kingianum, but mine blooms sparsely and many of the buds blast, even though it is growing like gangbusters.
I think I know why I'm getting keikis (I will give it a low nitrogen fertilizer.)

Thanks Glenda

What is the nitrogen level of your fertilizer? How much do you use? Too much nitrogen can prohibit blooming. These also like a fair amount of light while growing, and some cooler temps in fall.

[Glenda]

'Looks like I need to switch to a different fertilizer. I've been pretty stingy with it, but the "orchid Food" I've been using is 30-10-10.
I moved the plant outside, on the east side of my house in Tucson in November, but brought it back in because it almost blew away a couple of times. I guess I'll try to figure a way to tie it down outside next winter.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Glenda

'Looks like I need to switch to a different fertilizer. I've been pretty stingy with it, but the "orchid Food" I've been using is 30-10-10.
I moved the plant outside, on the east side of my house in Tucson in November, but brought it back in because it almost blew away a couple of times. I guess I'll try to figure a way to tie it down outside next winter.

how much fertilizer do you use? how often? You can always use less of what you have.

I do try to keep mine on the sheltered porch, out of the wind and rain.

[Leatherneck_Johnny]

That's incredible!