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Dendrobium
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Many different species from across India, China, Australia, New Guinea, and the Malay Peninsula form the Dendrobium Alliance. They will not all interbreed but most will. Dendrobiums are usually cooler-growing, meaning that they need a drop to 60 degrees at night in the winter and usually bloom in the fall, but there is much variation. The showiest 0 the dendrobiums is a cool-growing variety from India, dendrobium nobile, which needs temperatures down to about 50 degrees in winter to set its buds for the next growing season. Dendrobium bigibbum, an Australian variety, is the parent of most of the commonly seen commercial varieties, and prefers warmer conditions.
LIGHT
Dendrobiums like much higher light levels than phalaenopsis or even oncidiums and cattleyas. They like a southern exposure in winter and will tolerate even light from a southern window in summer for a couple of hours. With light, you also get heat and dendrobiums prefer higher temperatures, up to 85 degrees, than most orchids.
CARE
Dendrobiums prefer to dry out thoroughly between waterings. They are epiphytic or even lithophytic (anchoring their roots to tree branches or rocks). They are capable of surviving on very little water, and too much water can easily cause root rot. Some growers grow them in pure charcoal or pure fir bark, letting the water pass through unimpeded. In winter, they are dormant and should be watered only enough to prevent the soil from becoming parched. They will die if over watered in winter. In summer, they dislike even as much water as oncidiums or cattleyas like, but can survive if over watered. They do appreciate higher humidity, however, and some hobbyists set them on trays of pebbles with water in the bottom of the tray to increase the humidity.
In spring dendrobiums send up long, slender pseudobulbs, in which they store food (something like a daffodil or tulip), called canes. Flowers are produced only on this year’s canes although the old canes do not usually die back. The older canes support and feed the plant, contributing to the vigor of the bloom canes. In spring, you can divide the canes to create new plants, simply by breaking them apart and potting up each division separately.
FEEDING
Once the dendrobium shows signs of growth in spring it should be fed a weak mixture, 114 teaspoon/gal, of a fertilizer where nitrogen is the dominant element, something like a 3-1-2 ratio on the label, at every watering, but letting the plant dry out thoroughly between waterings. Once the plant has flowered in fall, food should be withheld gradually until no fertilizer is used over the winter.
FLOWERING
Dendrobiums will often flower more than once annually. In order to flower they need to feel colder temperatures over the winter. In October, the nighttime temperature should decline to around 60 degrees and continue until signs of new growth in spring. In winter, the plants go dormant, but still appreciate as much light as you can give them. With the resumption of growth dendrobiums like very high light levels and warmer temperatures. Even a south window is not too strong in summer if there are only a couple of hours of direct sunlight each day. Some varieties will flower spring and fall, each time on new canes, which will grow from the soil.
