Den. kingianum in glorious bloom!

[Picotee]

Glorious is the word! Great growing!

[NYCorchidman]

Wonderful little plant!!!

Thanks for sharing!

[euplusia]

Heart stopping abundance of flowers!!

[GeorgiaVL]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

(now Thelychiton kingianus, I believe)

My little kingianum (4" pot) is at it again this year!
There are still a number of unopened buds on this.

Kingianum is a cool to warm growing lithophyte from Queensland and New South Wales, Australia - tolerant of short periods of both extreme heat and low temps.

Potted in a combination of pumice and perlite, 4" plastic African violet pot (shallower than standard pots). Watered well and often during warm, dry weather (all of summer, much of spring and autumn here), water reduced, but not eliminated, in winter. I also fertilize it year-round.

Grown outdoors year-round here in zone 9; sheltered from frost/freeze to protect buds.

This receives sun all morning in summer, but not much during winter where I have it.

The tallest canes are approximately 8" tall. Blooms are just slightly over 1" across. Pleasant fragrance.

Thanks for looking!

I am going to have to show the photos of your plant to my Den. kingianum to make it jealous and inspire it to grow and bloom.

[WhiteRabbit]

Thank you, everyone!

While I don't give this any actual rest, it does grow outside, and gets quite cool. I remember once reading an Australian orchid grower, who lives in an area where kingis are native, saying it does rain there in winter - not monsoon heavy rain, but not completely dry either - after reading that, and seeing that mine would already have nubs by early autumn, and spikes / buds actively developing in winter, I figured it would be best to continue water (tho allowed it to be approach dry, to maybe slightly dry-especially during very cold night time temps) and fertilizer, and mine has always bloomed nicely with that treatment.

I'm always the lone voice suggesting not to give these a very dry period whenever people ask about culture for them ... All I know is the results I get NOT withholding water and fert in winter ... I do believe they want cool temps in order to bloom, but perhaps others have found differently ...

Thanks again to all for all your compliments!
I do believe this is the very happiest orchid I have! And I just love looking at it covered in blooms!

[rosalie]

That is so beautiful! It seems to me that the flowers are larger than usual too. I love the color.
My orchids sulked this year,my speciosums(large blooming size) did not bloom at all and the kingianums gave very few flowers.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by rosalie

That is so beautiful! It seems to me that the flowers are larger than usual too. I love the color.
My orchids sulked this year,my speciosums(large blooming size) did not bloom at all and the kingianums gave very few flowers.

Thank you!

Sorry you got few blooms on yours this year ... hope they behave better next year for you!

[silken]

Mine bloomed but not like yours. I will try your method of giving it some fertilizer and maybe a bit more water next year. Can't wait to see what happens!

[RosieC]

Wow, gorgeous kingianum! What a great display of flowers.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by silken

Mine bloomed but not like yours. I will try your method of giving it some fertilizer and maybe a bit more water next year. Can't wait to see what happens!

I hope it works for you!
I do decrease water a fair amount (I water it A LOT in summer - very warm to hot, dry daytime weather), but usually not to the point where canes shrivel - Mine is outside all winter, and while it is mostly sheltered from rain, the weather is typically cool and damp. But even then, I water every week - 10 days or so. It's potted in pumice and perlite only, so that may dry faster than media others use ... ? I can't remember if you grow victoria-reginae ? If so, water about the same as that in winter - let it get slightly dry; can be dry for a couple of days, but then water and fertilize normally.

I hope I am not steering you wrong! But, mine's bloomed fabulously with this treatment. Can't hurt to try, right? Let me/us know how it goes!

---------- Post added at 03:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:29 PM ----------

Originally Posted by RosieC

Wow, gorgeous kingianum! What a great display of flowers.

Thank you, Rosie!
I'm very pleased with it! It bloomed like this last year, and I was hoping that wasn't just a fluke