Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrebbitrocks
junie! i always love your plants so much. my plants could never reach the the level yours are at. i know you have no dens in these pics but i have to ask, what is your culture for them? my canes never become more than pencil thick and maybe 6" tall at most. i want to build a shade house like yours this year too  |
Thank you. You're very kind.
Most of the dendrobiums featured in my photos are the noid Phal type. Some have a slight twist to their petals which is indicative of antelope somewhere in their family tree. Amost alll of my Phal types are noids that I rescued from Lowe's or Home Depot. The remainders are plants that were at one time near death and given to me by friends and family members. All of my knowledge of growing them is a result of trial and error. I've made plenty of mistakes along the way but here are some of Junebug's basic guidelines and tips for growing and flowering phal type dens.
This type of phal doesn't like to have it's roots disturbed. Sometimes I don't even trim the roots when it's time for a repot. Fussing with them too much will likely cause the plant to sulk for a few months. When I do trim I focus only on the rotten roots and try my best to not disturb the healthy ones.
Repot into the smallest pot possible. Dendrobiums get thirsty but their roots need to be potted in a porous medium so they can dry rapidly after being watered. Net pots are very compatible with dendrobium roots but they need to be seated into a larger, heavier pot. I like to leave about an inch of space between the two pots to allow for air circulation. Sometimes it takes a bit of creativity to figure out how to anchor everything so top heavy plant doesn't tilt or fall over.
Phals also take well to being mounted. I've successfully mounted them to the inside of halved coconuts, turned sideways and hung with a standard pot clip. They also take well to tree branches, tree fern placques/totems, and grapewood. A freshly removed keiki will grow eagerly if it's mounted, and mounting eliminates the angst associated with repotting.
Dendrobiums also adapt well to lava rock and hydroton.
I need to stress that Dendrobiums like to be watered...they just don't like sitting in moisture for any length of time. I water my plants twice a day during the heat of summer. It's also important to not remove leafless canes until they become shriveled and yellowish in color. Green leafless canes are somewhat unsightly, but they serve as an important energy reserve for the rest of the plant.
I don't water as often when the season changes and the weather cools...just enough to prevent dehydration, usually 2 or 3 times a week if there is excellent drainage.
Sun exposure is important and phal type dendrobiums can take quite a bit of sunlight. With sufficient sunlight their canes grow thick and long with a marked improvement in spikes and blooms. I used to grow my dendrobiums on my underlit back porch. They did bloom once in a while, but their leaves were dark and their canes grew curvy and distorted. After the shadehouse was built I slowly acclimated them to brighter lighting conditions. My dendrobiums are growing on the west wall filtered by 4" lattice. They receive a good deal of southern exposure too, but it's all filtered by wood slats and lattice.
I fertilize about once a month, but I'm not stuck on any one brand of fertilizer. In a pinch I'll use Better-gro for orchids or Jacks 20-20-20, but I usually mix up a batch of Milorganite or Fish emulsion, bat guano, molasses, bone meal, sea weed extract, and epsom salts. I dissolve what I can in water and keep it all agitated as I apply it. My recipe varies and it's far less than scientific.
Newly opened blooms
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