dendrobium potting medium
 

Hi all!

what kind of potting medium is best for dendrobiums? All the label says is dendrobium orchid and the flowers have already fallen off. Currently it is in tight sphagnum moss. Do dendrobiums like more water than phalenopsis? There is also a special potting medium specifically for dendrobiums at the store.

thanks :)

tasha

Interesting question and the answer depends on your growing conditions and whether you like to water...or not. Dendrobiums are capable of growing in all types of media. Ive seen prize-winning specimens in moss , in bark and everything in between. If $ isn't a factor I would recommend the store dendrobium mix to start with.

The ones I purchased at the local shop were in some strange mixture of bark and what seemed to be sphagnum peat...way too water retentive for my taste. I have repotted them in pure bark, part of the original roots died (I suppose they were used to those much wetter conditions), but it has since produced a carpet of new healthy roots in the pot, new canes have emerged and growing very rapidly, they seem very happy in pure bark. I have Dend. nobile and Dend. biggibum (also known as Dendrobium Phalaenopsis or denphal)

I find (overall) that they like more water. If you could get it identified the answer could be more accurate.

There are so many different species of Dend that this question doesn't make sense unless qualified by type or species.

If you do have a photo of the flowers (or google it) please post it. I suspect what you have is a nobile.

Picture
 

Hello,

As requested the picture. But as I said before, all the flowers fell off before I bought it.

apologies i uploaded the photo here. i don't know how to operate my mac. :lol:

Thanks!

All plants like "more water"! Water is the driving force for growth.

I have to think that our - and I DO include myself - misinterpretation of our observation that some do not is because the rest of our growing conditions don't work well to permit the plant to take advantage of it.

I could be wrong, but it looks like some type of Dendrobium phalaenopsis to me.