Dendrobium....Phalaenopsis or Nobile

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by Duane McDowell

Sounds perfect. I've rarely seen one underpotted. One trick with Dens in general is that I don't like to repot until the new growths are aboout 1/8 of the way up.

One eighth of the highest cane? Because The new growths are starting to grow over the edge almost half way over the edge if the pot. If it does need repotting, the cane will be more and one eighth the size of the biggest cane by the time the bloom is done. Thanks. Alot

[Call_Me_Bob]

Which of the following fertilizers should i use, and how often?

miracle grow 20-20-20
schultz 10-15-10
peters special 15-30-15

[Rosiefuture]

From the look of the canes and the spikes I'd say it's a den phal type. Nobile type, I believe, are more soft cane and the spikes alternate up the cane, are short and aren't shaped like the spike on this orchid. I have a lot of dens both hard and soft cane.

Marion

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by Rosiefuture

From the look of the canes and the spikes I'd say it's a den phal type. Nobile type, I believe, are more soft cane and the spikes alternate up the cane, are short and aren't shaped like the spike on this orchid. I have a lot of dens both hard and soft cane.

Marion

thanks

what is your culture?

[Rosiefuture]

Hi, Well I'm by no means an expert and I've actually changed some of the things I was doing since I've been coming to the OB regularly. I had my dens in too fine a bark mix, as we get a fair bit of rain in autumn/winter here in Western Oz they used to get water logged and rot also I don't think I was watering them enough in the summer.

About 6 weeks or so ago I went through all my orchids, about 250, and repotted them with a coarser bark. It drains so much better and they are showing good signs of growth, new canes and roots. I did have all my orchids outside but since I've been buying phals I've now got quite a few in the house. I'm in the process of changing my large gym room into an indoor growing room.

I use Manutec Bloom Booster both as a root and foliar fertilizer about fortnightly at the moment.

Most of my orchids are under 70% shadecloth.

Marion

[Call_Me_Bob]

thanks alot!! that helps how often do you water phal type dens?

[RosieC]

I water mine on a similar schedule to my Phals, which for me means somewhere arround once a week.

I think they can be just slightly wetter than phals but I keep mine about the same.

[Call_Me_Bob]

slighty wetter than phals? ok

[Duane McDowell]

I don't like repotting when they're in bloom. If the new growth is going to be able to put most of its roots into the pot, I'd wait. If not, I'd go ahead and repot anyway. I would put a bamboo or metal stake in the pot and tie the largest mature growth to that for stability so that the repotting causes the least possible disruption.

[Rosiefuture]

Dens like a drier winter so I only water them about every fortnight and then it's only a small amount. If it's been raining obviously I don't water them at all. Several of my dens have buds forming already.

Marion