dendrobium kingianum, how to bloom?

[Squishy21]

Hello,


Just a quick question, how to do I get my kingianum to bloom?
And also I have split off some back bulbs and Im just wondering if anyone has had any success getting back bulbs to sprout, and under what condiditons?

Thanks!!

[fooferdoggie]

lots of light seems to do it for mine. Now that it is under the lights it grew a new shoot and I think a spike and all the roots. had it since may or June. 3 new shoots and all of those roots. tons of roots all over the place.

[estación seca]

Very cool and very bright winters. You may read they require a dry winter, but they bloom fine exposed to winter rain in southern California.

[fooferdoggie]

do they go dormant? if mine is in spike it will mature in the middle of winter. it will get around 58 in the house at the lowest.

[estación seca]

In California they bloom in the mid to late winter. Mine just started making more new growths, but here in Phoenix it's only cooled down a little at night. After this growth is mostly mature I'm going to put it outside. Last spring the pack rats chewed some primary rupicolous Laelia hybrids but left the Den. kingianum right next to them alone.

[Regelian]

I'm in norther Europe and all my kingianum are still outside. They will stay there until we get close to freezing, then into a cool window with as much light as possible. They will actually handle frost, but no need to push things! It does set them back. Once cooled they set buds and bloom in January to March for me. I place them back outsdie right after blooming, as frosts are over in my climate, where they start into strong growth and often bloom again in May-June, when we get night temp dips. They are always kept moist, although drying does not hurt them during the Winter. In growth they shoud be regularly watered and fertilized. What we grow at home is a long way from the wild forms! Mostly hybrids and years of selection.

[Squishy21]

Thanks everyone for your help!
We have a foot of snow so they are going to have to stay inside for now, but I'll place them in a window and see if that's cold enough to trigger blooming !

[Bud]

My kingianum blooms in winter thaw just as spring is about to arrive.

[seagull]

how long must it be chilled for? mine got about 10 cold nights and many chilly days

[Maryanne]

Hello-

I posted this in 2014, so I'm copying here with my mis-spellings corrected:

I grow D. kingianum in a clay pot of rock chunks with a little bit of finer medium mixed in. It needs free drainage as it lives in Australia on cliffs near the ocean. It clings on to whatever is thinly covering the rocks. In summer, park it outside in full sun or near full sun. Water and fertilize it generously - you can't be too generous in the summer as that is the growing season. As soon as September rolls around, cut down, and when it cools leave it outside until you expect frost. Then, bring it into a cool but sunny area and cut water to near zero. Drastic. water lightly or mist. Leave it alone and after Jan 1 you can introduce a little more water - not much - once a week or less. When you finally notice some buds, then allow water once a week but not much. It (mine) thrives on neglect.
Also, look up on the internet the advice given by the late, great Wilford Neptune whose advice I've followed - worked for me in Massachusetts.

Also, the kiekis are easy to start by standing them in small pots of coarse gravel. I've given away several to orchid society members who volunteer to write an article for the society newsletter. : -)
Best of luck
ML