Need help flowering a dendrobium
 

Two years ago I purchased Den. Stephen Batchelor from H & R. It had five canes and was growing in a four inch pot. It has since made seven new canes all of which are about eighteen inches tall. It grows with and is treated the same as the Cats; high light in a greenhouse and water and weak applications of fertilizer weekly in warm weather and bi-weekly in cooler weather. Does this thing need some kind of special treatment to get it to bloom, like a cool, dry rest period. I have Den. Kingianum that I have had for years and it had only bloomed very sporadicaly before. This year I left it outside in full sun (in Central Florida) with no water from mid Nov. until mid Feb. There is now a profusion of buds forming. Should be a beauty if they don't turn into kikis. Is this, perhaps, what I need to do with Den. Stephen Batchelor?

According to Orchidwiz, cultivation of Den Stephen Batchelor is:
50%-60% humidity. Keep moist in the Spring-Summer, when plant is in active growth. Grow in a pot with porous, free-draining media. The pot should be small for plant size. Fertilize weekly, weakly (one quarter to half the normal dose). Reduce water/feeding during the cooler months. Common media: fir bark, coconut chunks.

It needs a winter rest. No water or food from Nov - Mar is the gauge I usually follow. Just a slight mist on occasion till you see sprouts along the canes.

Thanks for the information Susanne. Since it is going to need a winter rest, I will not be able to flower it for another year.

Hi Leisurely,

I have to disagree with Suzanne just a bit, sorry S. Our Stephen Batchelor blooms 2-3 times per year here in Middle Tn. And it blooms on an inflorescence like a Phalaenopsis type Dendro. not along the canes like a nobile, or an anosum. If there is a "trick" to getting it to bloom it is to not use fertilize at all. We just water ours. We have had the same results from our Brassia's as well, if we fertilize them they grow like crazy, but for bloom we have to just use plain water. Stephen Batchelors will repeat bloom from old canes as well as from newly matured canes. I am attaching a photo of ours, just to make sure we are talking about the same plant here.


Gands

Thanks for that info, Gands :)
The information I posted came from Orchidwiz. don't have one of these plants :) Just goes to show you how important our members' input is...thanks :clap:

Hi Gands,
We are definitely talking about the same plant. I will put my plant on a lean diet and demand that it flower by the end of summer. Thanks for your help. This forum is great.

Diet! Diet! Diet! I do beleive that more of "us" need to diet but never thought I would hear that orchids do too. Yes, indeed, we do learn new things from this board of ours. Good luck. :)

Jerry, Thanks for your tips on Den. Kingianum, I tried giving mine a dry winter rest this year but I couldn't stand it and went ahead and watered. I don't see any buds forming. Next year I'll do it. Brenda

Dens are funny things. I have a gorgeous white den kingianum that flowers like crazy every year. I have other kingianums that hardly flower at all. They all live in the same place. I only found out about the watering restriction in winter recently so I will have to move them as they are under shade cloth and get quite a bit of water in the winter here in Western Oz. Marion