Dendrobium Kingianum in S/H?

[greenpassion]

I just purchased a totally new orchid-A Dendrobium Kingianum, and in reading about it's cultural needs, I am at a loss. The seller has reassured me that it would do well in S/H, and in fact, he knows someone who actually has one growing in water. The problem here is that in reading up on this plant, 2 things came to light. One, it has to grow COLD, not cool, at night, around 5o degrees in order to flower, and two, is that it has to stay very dry. In S/H culture, this doesn't happen.
I have never grown ANY dendrobiums, only phals and oncidiums. Any feed back would be apprieciated.

[Maryanne]

Hello Greenpassion:
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 cliff 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 Seaptember rolls around, cut down, and when it cools leave it outside until you expect frost. then bring it into a cool but sunny are and cut water to near zero. Drastic. 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 thrives on neglect.
Also, look up the advice given by the late, great Wilford Neptune whose advice I've followed - worked for me in Massachusetts.

Best of luck
ML

[Bud]

S/H method will work just fine. If you need to give it winter rest then remove the water from the bottom of the pot then resume water levels when you see new growth coming out. But in its environment even if there are no rains in the dry season, there is early morning dew that moistens the canes and roots; so you need to spray it in the mornings if the canes shrivel.

[Ray]

As Bud so wisely intoned, they need a winter rest.

People who take things at face value look to the cultural conditions where they grow and note a clear dry season. What they fail to realize is that the critical factor is that when it doesn't rain, the plants get no nitrogen washed down from the forest canopy.

"Dry" isn't the issue, "no food" is.

[greenpassion]

Thanks for the quick replies. Ray, just to be sure...I can grow this in S/H and in the same conditions as my other orchids, but during the winter months, I can keep water in the reservoir but do not add food? Do I have to put it in the basement or a cold area of my house at night? Or can I keep it with my others. Thru the winter I keep the house at 60 thru the nights, and at or around 64 during the days.

[Bud]

Ray is right, hold the fertilizer during rest.
No need to put it on the basement. During winter give it even brighter light =remember all the leaves from the trees are gone so the bright sun exposure....and the 60's indoors will suffice=just make sure to give it outdoor warmth and bright sun in the growing months of summer even on S/H....

[OrchidLover1982]

Having seen this orchid many many times in the wild it grows locally at lower elevations. Sometimes quite high elevation to I have seen it near 1000 metres altitude. Generally 300 to 500 metres though above sea level. It is a tough plant and hard to go wrong with it. It grows in the gaps of rocks and between rocks with accumulated organic matter and sometimes in full sun with intense heat in summer. Our rainy season is summer extending into autumn. Our winter is somewhat cool nights warm days and dry and our spring is also normally dry (when they are flowering). I am growing it at near sea level in a normal Cymbidium type mix and its not fussy at all. Prefers a slightly finer mix than most Dendrobium. I give it quite a bit more shade (in a shadehouse) than what they normally have in the wild. I think its hard to go wrong with this species. Its a great beginners Dendrobium. I would also recommend a clay pot (which i grow mine in) though plastic pots are fine plenty of water in the growing season (summer especially) and ease off during the cooler/colder months let it stay a little drier (it wont do much at this time). Don't let it dry out bone dry though. LIke someone previously said don't let the canes shrivel too much. A little shrivelling is ok.

he knows someone who actually has one growing in water. The problem here is that in reading up on this plant, 2 things came to light. One, it has to grow COLD, not cool, at night, around 5o degrees in order to flower,

I'm in disagreement with whoever said that it has to grow cold however night time winter temperatures do drop below 5 degress C. So this may be necessary for flowering. Daytime termperatures though here in winter can be rather warm. Growing in water? I can't see the plant living like that but who knows?

[rosemadder]

My dendrobium kingianum has been outdoors in S/H for one year. I live in San Francisco. I kept it watered all year (and fertilized, didn't know to stop that). They're extremely tough plants, very good beginner orchid.

Here's what it looks like right now:



This year's blooming is not as profuse as what it had when I bought it, but it has a ton of new growth.

[POLKA]

if I may add my two cents...

I have one that blooms in Dec/Jan that is grown with the cattleyas, watered and fertilized all year, and blooms just like the one in the last photo above.

Then I have one that is just now budding up, and going to bloom in the next week or two (mid March), that must have the fert stopped, and the light increased or it won't bloom at all.

They look the same, smell the same. The later one is smaller, and darker, and the canes are smaller and shorter, but otherwise they seem the same to me.

It is the variation in the species that accounts for this, I believe.

So, if yours doesn't behave one way, treat it the other way.

Keep trying--the fragrance is worth every sniff!!!!

Rex