Dendrobium aggregatum! - Orchid Board

theloyalplum · #1 03-29-2016, 03:08 AM

I took every ounce of my willpower to try and get this to bloom.

I got this last May with only a dried up spike left, so I knew it was blooming size. Through the summer and fall it grew about 8 or 9 pseudobulbs, none of which bloomed but I expect them to next year. Anyways... I stopped watering after the last growth matured... in early December; my south window gets pretty warm with any sunlight at all even near the open window. I watched as the psb's slowly shriveled to practically nothing until I misted it lightly, fighting the urge to water it. Then the holidays kicked in and I forgot all about it until about the end of January when spikes began to emerge! I began watering once the spikes were a couple inches long, though I probably will wait longer next time for them to fully develop. Heavy fertilizer and daily watering from now on!

Apologies for a little over exposure in the background. A terribly old point and shoot can only do so much.

SFLguy · #2 03-29-2016, 05:12 AM

Nice! I believe the name is Dendrobium lindleyi now

ula · #3 03-29-2016, 09:21 AM

I love the cheerful yellow on this one.

DeaC · #4 03-29-2016, 11:29 AM

Heavenly! I've had a jenkinsii for ~4 yrs that I struggle with and will never buy another Den.But this past winter it was all I could do to keep from watering it as I need to get the *&%^ thing to bloom. Nothing appearing yet but I understand your frustration and anticipation. Great color and so many blooms!

theloyalplum · #5 03-29-2016, 12:45 PM

Thanks guys! I hope yours blooms magnificently next time (for the first time)!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFLguy

Nice! I believe the name is Dendrobium lindleyi now

But I like aggregatum because of the "aggravatum" jokes...

fishmom · #6 03-29-2016, 02:06 PM

That's so pretty! I have a non-blooming aggregatum that has been outside all winter, so I am hoping it will come to life as the temps warm up. If not, I will be following your pattern next year!

u bada · #7 03-29-2016, 02:48 PM

really amazing... great culture and/or fortune! I love this and it's group of dens very much but scared of them...appreciate your history and care details! Maybe i'll give them a try this year...

theloyalplum · #8 03-29-2016, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishmom

That's so pretty! I have a non-blooming aggregatum that has been outside all winter, so I am hoping it will come to life as the temps warm up. If not, I will be following your pattern next year!

I think it's a little different for everyone, depending on the temperatures they're getting. Everyone always says cut fertilizer and water in October/November, but that's when I had multiple growths still developing and it felt... wrong? bad? Anyways, the same thing happened with my pendant dendrobiums that were still developing into December, so I let them be until they were mature and that's when I cut them off. Temps at that time when I ignored them were around 55F at night against the window and probably into the 60s or low 70s if the sun was out. Turned out great with 2 out of 3 blooming, so I think it's worth a shot. Let the plants tell you when they're ready! One of mine still hasn't done anything and is just green, plump leafless canes, so.... I'm getting antsy!

@u bada Try one! They really aren't that fussy. If anything, this is the one I ignore the most out of any of my plants. It loves water, but can go for a week bone dry and still be fine... in the middle of Summer when my sprinklers weren't working properly! haha. Sometimes I wonder why people say orchids are so hard to grow.

No-Pro-mwa · #9 03-31-2016, 02:03 PM

Well done. It's a great color. I have 2 Aussie Dens but that the only ones I have. If they say hot at all I don't think I will try them.

u bada · #10 03-31-2016, 02:53 PM

make no mistake, orchids really rank up there as one of the hardest plant groups to grow, hands down... but this of course means that if you can do them well, you're a pretty darn good grower. (Coincidently it's one of the most expensive things to grow, especially considering how many you have to kill to get good LOL...)

yeah, basically if it's an orchid that needs a dry period and neglect, probably i can handle that lol I actually have quite a few that need it, only I haven't had results like yours! the growth habit and the flower color are alone reasons for me to get one...