Dendrobium aphyllum care

[Dollythehun]

Ok. I've asked this question before. I'll ask it again with a little variation: I cannot give this plant what it needs. I can give it a dry rest, and I can hang it directly under the T5s or LEDs, what I cannot do is give it cool temps. Research says the winter high should be no higher than 12c or 54f. I can give it nights of 64f and days will be warmer. I cannot give it cold and high light. Thoughts? Or should I just rehome it?

[camille1585]

I've been trying to find some very old threads where I remember someone had a Den. aphyllum or anosmum (both need roughly the same culture). He got amazing blooms, but if I recall correctly, he kept them in his normal grow area (so normal growing temps) all winter where it got bright light and NO water all winter. The dry/bright seemed more important that cool. But my memory is fuzzy, this was at least 6-7 years ago.

I can still see in my head the photo he posted of his grow area with the blooming Den, but I can't even find his OB profile anymore, he may have gotten everything deleted...

[Dollythehun]

If I have time I'll search. It's gotten a night time chill for sure, as it was in the greenhouse. This is a lesson in buying plants that your conditions can't support.
Thanks for the input Camille!

[camille1585]

He was growing indoors, in a sunny window with cfl bulbs hanging everywhere. I found another very old post where Sue (ex moderator here and was very active) mentions that her winter resting Dens simply got moved to a different rack of her grow room (so same conditions) just to avoid the overspray on the other racks.

How long have you had it? If this is your first winter with it, I think you should give it a try before rehoming. I think now is the time to stop watering, and it shouldn't get any more water until the buds form (not sure if occasional misting is ok)

If you want to search OB for information, try Den. aphyllum, Den. pierardii and Den. cucullatum. The names are used interchangeably for this species, though I'm not certain all are synonyms.

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[Dollythehun]

I quit watering awhile back. It got a dunk (no fert) last Monday only because I felt sorry for it. Yes, it was a seedling last year. It grew two additional canes this year. One is loosing its leaves, the other looks ready to. One cane looks like it got too cold but we'll see. So for now, it's under the light as high as I can get it and no water...I'll search for those posts tonight.

[camille1585]

I found the posts I was looking for (not entire threads, but bits and pieces of information in scattered posts). So the guy (Ross) had a Den. anosmum and not aphyllum. I think culture is comparable if not identical. Here's the information I dug up, from nearly 10 years ago:

Plants were in a south facing window, but supplemented by a few cfl lights since he lives in Michigan. His low temps in the winter were in the 60s. He quite watering around Halloween and didn't give any water nor fertilizer (none at all: no misting, no occasional watering. Bone dry all winter) until the buds were visible and he could tell they were buds. If watering starts before you can see that the nubbins are buds, they may develop into keikis instead.

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[Dollythehun]

Ok. I'll try it. That will be hard not to water and I did dunk it quickly last week...thank you, you saved me searching. I'd been researching the care (again) and had given up hope.

[camille1585]

You just have to double check if Den. aphyllum needs the same level of abuse as anosmum. Hopefully people who grow it will chime in.

[Dollythehun]

It appears to me they are in the same category. I think there is a sticky on catagories. From what I read temperature may be my problem.

[rbarata]

Orchidwiz says:

TEMPERATURES: Summer days average 84F (29C), and nights average 71-72F (22C), with a diurnal range of 12-13F (7C).

Winter days average 69-72F (20-22C), and nights average 45-49F (7-9C), with a diurnal range of 23-24F (13C).

D. aphyllum grows over a wide region, so plants may adapt to temperatures 10-12F (6-7C) warmer than indicated. Plants are commonly and easily cultivated by many growers, but it can be a difficult species to grow and bloom in warm, tropical climates. Seasonal fluctuations in temperature and rainfall are necessary to induce flowering, and a dry season is particularly important. D. aphyllum frequently produces keikis.

In the habitat, winter rainfall is low, but additional moisture is often available from heavy deposits of dew. For about a month in late winter or early spring, however, humidity is so low that even the moisture from dew is uncommon. Cultivated plants should be allowed to dry out between waterings in winter, but they should not remain completely dry for extended periods. Fertilizer should be eliminated until water is increased in spring. In the habitat, light is highest in winter. The cool, dry rest with increased light may be necessary to initiate blooming, and some growers recommend that plants be kept completely dry in winter.