Dendrobium xdelicatum, kingianum, questions

[isurus79]

My plants are dry when it gets that cold. This species likes dry winters anyway, so they don't seem to mind.

[Roberta]

Mine in this group have no problem with either winter chill (near freezing some nights) or summer heat (high 90's F, 38-40 deg C) They do benefit from a bit of shade - I toasted a few leaves that accidentally got a jolt of direct summer sun. So I don't think they would particularly object to triple-digit F Phoenix temps as long as the light is diffused so that there are no "hot spots" as long as they get enough water. I have heard that they benefit from less water in winter, but mine get whatever everything else gets (only a bit of reduction of water because with the cool things stay wetter) and they still bloom profusely in the spring. This year they are running a bit late, due, I'm sure, to the delay in the fall cool-down (nearly two extra months of summer, alas) but I'm starting to see spikes now.

[stonedragonfarms]

The heat should not be a problem, provided they get shade from direct sun; but you've hit the problem on it's head regarding the lack of humidity. Kingianum & speciosum have pretty broad ranges in Australia, but I'd shoot to mimic conditions around Brisbane for optimal growth; ie regular spring & fall water, with a noted increase at summer's height; taper down in late fall and water very infrequently in the cool winter months. As for humidity, it should sit about 60% rh as an average. If I were growing outdoors in your location I'd do a few things to mitigate the problems you are experiencing:
1) Double pot your plants; pot them in your preferred mix in clay pots; place the clay pots in plastic pots allowing an inch of open gap between the clay pot and the plastic pot (the zone will help with humidity in the root zone)
2) Place plants on benches under 60-70% shade cloth; gravel under benches would be optimum
3) Water daily, when night temps are above 60F and day temps will be higher; ideally just before dawn--make sure to drench the entire plant. Alternately, you can water at night, but I'd water the pot only, not the foliage--no sense in water sitting on foliage overnight.
4) Install overhead misting under the shade cloth; I'd probably mist once every 2 hours while there is daylight for 60-90 seconds. The last scheduled misting should be about 2 hours before sunset.
5) I'd also install mist heads below benches; for simplicity, keep the same schedule with below bench misters
Hope this helps; if you are just growing a few plants, stick with growing them inside. New growths this time of the year are pretty common; I'm in zone 9a on the Oregon coast, and have many aussie hybrids still pushing new growths--despite cool temps and being on winter watering schedules.
Good luck,
Adam

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[Roberta]

This is a pretty adaptable group of orchids. My RH is rarely as high as 60% in summer except in August. We have been on water restriction, and last summer, they got water every two days during the highest heat (in previous years it was daily), now it's every three or four days (unless it actually rains, then it will be "as long as it lasts"... still waiting)

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by stonedragonfarms

The heat should not be a problem, provided they get shade from direct sun; but you've hit the problem on it's head regarding the lack of humidity. Kingianum & speciosum have pretty broad ranges in Australia, but I'd shoot to mimic conditions around Brisbane for optimal growth; ie regular spring & fall water, with a noted increase at summer's height; taper down in late fall and water very infrequently in the cool winter months. As for humidity, it should sit about 60% rh as an average. If I were growing outdoors in your location I'd do a few things to mitigate the problems you are experiencing:
1) Double pot your plants; pot them in your preferred mix in clay pots; place the clay pots in plastic pots allowing an inch of open gap between the clay pot and the plastic pot (the zone will help with humidity in the root zone)
2) Place plants on benches under 60-70% shade cloth; gravel under benches would be optimum
3) Water daily, when night temps are above 60F and day temps will be higher; ideally just before dawn--make sure to drench the entire plant. Alternately, you can water at night, but I'd water the pot only, not the foliage--no sense in water sitting on foliage overnight.
4) Install overhead misting under the shade cloth; I'd probably mist once every 2 hours while there is daylight for 60-90 seconds. The last scheduled misting should be about 2 hours before sunset.
5) I'd also install mist heads below benches; for simplicity, keep the same schedule with below bench misters
Hope this helps; if you are just growing a few plants, stick with growing them inside. New growths this time of the year are pretty common; I'm in zone 9a on the Oregon coast, and have many aussie hybrids still pushing new growths--despite cool temps and being on winter watering schedules.
Good luck,
Adam

Thanks for the detailed response! It is helpful.

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