The herbaceous perennial plant Dendrobium orchid is a member of the Orchidaceae family. From Greek “dendrobium” is translated as “living on a tree”, this is due to the fact that this plant is an epiphyte, but among the species of this genus there are also lithophytes that live on stones. This genus includes more than 1,200 species that can be found in natural conditions in the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Oceania and New Guinea. All these species can differ greatly from each other in both the shape and color of foliage and flowers, the manner in which the flowers are arranged on the stem, the time of flowering, and much more.
Brief description of cultivation
- Bloom . Its duration is from 2 to 3 months.
- Illumination . It needs a lot of bright light, which must be diffused; do not allow direct rays of the sun to hit the bush. The duration of daylight should be at least 12 hours.
- Temperature regime . During active growth in the daytime - from 20 to 25 degrees, and at night - from 16 to 21 degrees. Types of cool keeping in the spring-summer period require a temperature of 15 to 18 degrees during the day, and about 12 degrees at night. In winter, the air temperature during the daytime should be about 12 degrees, and at night - about 8 degrees. The night temperature should differ from the day temperature by 5–7 degrees.
- Watering . In the spring-summer period, the substrate in the pot should be moistened abundantly, and during the dormant period, watering should be sparse.
- Air humidity . Required high air humidity (from 50 to 80 percent). Therefore, the bush must be frequently moistened with lukewarm water from a sprayer. In winter, it is best to place the container with the flower on a tray filled with damp crushed stone.
- Fertilizer . During the growing season (April–September), the flower is fed once every 15 days with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer for orchids.
- Rest period . It occurs after the bush has faded, and the timing depends on the type of dendrobium.
- Transplant . Systematically every 3 or 4 years. Autumn-flowering species are replanted immediately after the appearance of young shoots, and spring-flowering species - when flowering ends.
- Reproduction . By cuttings or dividing the bush.
- Harmful insects . Spider mites, thrips, scale insects, mealybugs and whiteflies.
- Diseases . Root rot, leaf spot, powdery mildew and brown rot.
How to care for the Dendrobium nobile orchid. Light, watering and fertilizer for the orchid.
Pests
If these flowers are not taken care of, they become weak and are easily damaged by various insects.
Often several parasites appear on a plant:
- Spider mite. Usually parasitizes orchids that grow in dry and too hot rooms. First of all, it is necessary to increase the humidity and lower the temperature. Then remove all damaged parts, spray the flower with Actellik or Aktara twice with an interval of 7 days.
- Scale insect or false scale insect. They feed on the juice of leaves and stems, as a result of which they turn yellow and dry out. Parasites are collected manually using a cotton sponge. Then treated with any insecticide.
- Mealybug. Damages all organs - buds, foliage, buds and young growth. First, free the flower from pests - remove it along with the plaque with a damp cloth. Then the soil and the entire above-ground part are irrigated with contact, systemic or intestinal insecticides.
Caring for a dendrobium orchid at home
Features of cultivation
Since there are so many different types of dendrobium orchids, which differ from each other in agricultural technology, because of this it is simply impossible to describe the rules for growing indoors for all types of such a plant at once. The fact is that almost each species has its own “whims” that must be taken into account when growing it. However, dendrobium has several general requirements:
- Growing any species at home is a very complex process.
- Each species should be grown according to the agrotechnical rules that apply specifically to it, otherwise the plant may die.
- All species prefer bright light, which must be diffused. The flower must be protected from direct sunlight.
- Also, all species react extremely negatively to drafts.
- Flowers growing in natural conditions do not need a rest period.
Temperature
Remember that each type of this plant has its own requirements for air temperature. For example, they are all divided into 6 groups according to the conditions of optimal growing temperature. Moreover, each of these groups has special temperature requirements. However, on average, for those species that are considered heat-loving, during the growing season in the warm season, the optimal air temperature during the day is from 20 to 25 degrees, and at night - from 16 to 21 degrees. In winter, during the daytime the room should not be warmer than 20 degrees, and at night - colder than 18 degrees. Cool-kept species in the warm season require not too high air temperatures during the day (from 15 to 18 degrees); at night it should be about 12 degrees. And in the winter months, during the daytime it is about 12 degrees, and at night - about 8 degrees.
Illumination
Most species and varieties of this plant need bright lighting, but the flower must be protected from direct scorching rays of the sun. In order for it to grow and develop within normal limits, the duration of daylight should be only about 12 hours.
Watering and air humidity
Dendrobium is watered in almost the same way as other types of orchids. In the spring-summer period, watering should be plentiful, but liquid stagnation in the substrate should not be allowed, as this may cause rot to appear on the root system. Watering should be done with filtered or well-settled water at room temperature.
Such a plant needs high air humidity, the level of which should be from 50 to 80 percent. In order to provide the plant with the necessary level of humidity in the summer, it is recommended to move it outside and moisten the foliage as often as possible. In winter, the container with the flower is placed on a tray filled with moistened gravel.
How to water a dendrobium orchid.
Dendrobium transplant
Dendrobium transplants are extremely painful, so they are carried out as rarely as possible, approximately once every 3 or 4 years. Species that bloom in spring are replanted immediately after they have finished flowering, and those that bloom in autumn are transplanted only when young shoots begin to grow. The pot chosen is not very large, and it can be made of any material. Experienced gardeners, as a rule, choose unglazed clay pots, and those who grow an orchid for the first time usually plant it in translucent plastic pots.
Be sure to place several heavy small stones at the bottom of the container to make it more stable. A layer of drainage made of polystyrene foam or expanded clay is made on top of the stones. Then pour a layer of coarse bark and carefully transfer the flower into a new pot, all voids are filled with a new substrate. To plant orchids, experienced gardeners advise using commercial orchid substrate. As a rule, to plant such a flower, they take a mixture consisting of charcoal, sphagnum, pine bark and coconut chips. However, it can also be grown in a substrate consisting of only bark.
Dendrobium orchid. It has bloomed. Transfer.
Fertilizer
The orchid is fed only during intensive growth in April–September once every 15 days. To do this, use liquid complex fertilizer for orchids. Please note that the concentration of the nutrient mixture used should be half as strong as recommended by the manufacturer. If you use a nutrient mixture of a higher concentration, the root system may suffer, which will lead to the death of the plant. In addition to this general rule for all dendrobiums, warm-kept varieties and types require regular fertilizing with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer, even in winter; this nutrient mixture is added to the substrate once every 4 weeks. In this case, cool-kept species are fed with nitrogen fertilizer twice or thrice a month.
Prevention
To protect orchids from the invasion of parasites and the appearance of diseases, you should first of all follow all the rules for care and maintenance.
It is also necessary to regularly inspect for damage - at least once every two weeks.
Additionally, wipe the leaves and stems with soapy water - it creates good protection against harmful insects. Avoid overwatering, drying out the soil mixture, sudden temperature changes and drafts.
You also need to protect flowers from the scorching sun, quarantine purchased specimens, and do not place bouquets of garden plants nearby.
Features of flowering
Care rules during flowering
Each type of dendrobium orchid blooms at its own time, and the duration of flowering can vary from 2 to 3 months. In order for the plant to bloom in a timely manner, a temperature difference between night and daytime of 5–7 degrees is recommended. This is easiest to achieve in the summer, but in winter the matter is complicated by round-the-clock heating of the room.
When growing dendrobium nobile in winter in order to make it bloom, some gardeners resort to an unusual method. They do not water the bush until new growth appears. When this growth reaches 20–30 mm in height, and its own roots grow, watering the flower is resumed. After the growth is equal to the old bulbs, a gradual reduction in watering is carried out until it stops completely, while the temperature is reduced to 12 degrees. Watering is resumed only when the formed buds begin to bloom, otherwise babies will develop instead of flowers.
DENDROBIUM orchid after flowering and HOW TO MAKE Dendrobium nobile BLOW
Care after flowering
After flowering ends, they begin to gradually reduce watering until it stops completely, the peduncle is cut off, and the bush itself is transferred to a place where it is always cool. In this case, he will be able to have a good rest and gain strength before another flowering. Dendrobium growing in nature does not stop growing even in winter, however, in mid-latitudes during the cold season, due to poor lighting, it goes into hibernation, at which time its growth stops. Of course, he won’t die from this, but experts do not recommend allowing this to happen. In winter, when daylight hours are very short, the bush must be illuminated, and it is best to use a phytolamp for this. The fact is that an orchid growing in nature does not have a rest period; it is constantly busy with something; as a rule, the flower grows either foliage, roots, or peduncles. If your flower goes into hibernation in the autumn, then you should not disturb it. In this case, stop watering for a while and move the bush to a cool place.
Reproduction methods
Dividing the bush
Dendrobium orchids grown indoors can be propagated by dividing the bush. The plant is divided during transplantation after it has flowered. An adult large bush is taken out of the container and divided into parts after the root system is freed from the substrate. In this case, first you need to carefully untangle the roots, and then those that are very tangled are cut with a sharp, disinfected tool. During division, it is necessary to take into account that each division should have 2 or 3 mature bulbs and the same number of young growths. The cut areas are treated with garden varnish or sprinkled with charcoal powder.
Cuttings
Cut the pseudobulb from the parent bush and cut it into cuttings, which should be about 10 centimeters long. The cut areas are coated with garden varnish. Take a resealable plastic bag and fill it with moistened sphagnum moss. Place one or two cuttings in each bag, then zip them tightly and put them in a warm (22 to 25 degrees) and well-lit place, keep in mind that the light must be diffused. Ventilate the cuttings every day and make sure that the sphagnum moss is always moist (not wet). The cuttings will take root after 15–20 days, after which they can be planted in separate pots. The bushes grown from them will bloom for the first time after 2 or 3 years.
Dendrobium Orchid! We propagate by cuttings!
How to choose a container?
There are special pots for orchids, with a drainage hole at the bottom and aeration holes around the circumference.
You can make such holes yourself in any container made of clay or transparent plastic. The condition of the roots is clearly visible in transparent plastic. But such pots are more suitable for children and young plants. It is better to plant mature plants in a stable clay container.
The container should be 2–3 cm wider than the diameter of the root system.
Types of dendrobium with photos and names
There are many different types and varieties of dendrobium orchids, so it is very difficult to select the best or most beautiful ones. Below we will describe those species and varieties that are most popular among gardeners.
Dendrobium nobile
This species is one of the most beautiful, native to Vietnam and the Himalayas. The length of the shiny thick pseudobulbs is about half a meter; in the second year of growth they form peduncles, on which 1–3 large (about 10 centimeters in diameter) flowers of rich color are formed. In the natural species, the petals are white and have lavender tips, the lips are cream with pink edging, and the throat is dark purple. Flowering in hybrid varieties can be observed several times a year.
Dendrobium moniliforme
This species is endemic to Japan. It is a smaller copy of the noble dendrobium, the height of the bush is only about 15 centimeters. This species, compared to others, is less demanding in terms of care, so it is recommended that inexperienced gardeners pay attention to it.
Dendrobium densiflorum
This epiphyte is native to the Eastern Himalayas. Its drooping lush racemose inflorescences reach about 0.3 meters in length; up to 50 very fragrant flowers can form on them, the sepals and petals of which are deep yellow, and the lip is orange-yellow, shaggy and fringed along the edge. This species has a variety, Dendrobium thyrsiflorum: its petals are cream or white.
King's Dendrobium (Dendrobium kingianum)
This plant is native to Australia. The almost cylindrical stems are thickened in the lower part, and in the upper part they form wide leaf plates. Five or more fragrant pinkish flowers with a spotted lip grow on a peduncle. The growth of the bush continues throughout the year, and its flowering is observed in February–March.
Dendrobium parishii
The hanging shoots of this epiphyte reach a length of about 0.3 meters (sometimes more). The length of the leaf plates is from 7 to 12 centimeters, they are pointed and have an oblong-lanceolate shape. The amethyst-purple single flowers have a heavily pubescent, rounded lip with brownish-purple spots. The column is painted white, and the anther is painted purple. Flowering occurs in June–July.
Dendrobium phalaenopsis
In nature, this species is found in Australia; its flowers are very similar to the phalaenopsis orchid, which influenced the choice of the name. The length of the pseudobulbs with powerful leathery leaf plates is about 0.7 m. About 10 (sometimes more) large burgundy flowers reaching up to 80 mm in diameter are formed on a high peduncle. Each of the flowers blooms for about 8 weeks, while older pseudobulbs can bloom several times. The bush blooms in November–December.
The best species for novice gardeners is Dendrobium phalaenopsis or Dendrobium nobilis.
Characteristics of the variety
The name Dendrobium is translated from Greek as “tree-dwelling”, since most species are considered epiphytic plants.
In its natural environment, the flower is found in New Guinea, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines and Oceania.
The description includes several distinctive qualities:
- type of growth is sympodial (shoots develop vertically);
- stems (pseudobulbs) form rhizomes in the rhizome area;
- the root system is branched, greenish with a whitish tint;
- thickened shoots with a silvery or smooth structure, green in tone, their length varies from 2 cm to 5 m;
- leaves are lanceolate or elliptical, formed at the top of the shoots, in some species they may fall off;
- inflorescences-cysts, from 3 to 15 buds are formed on one flower arrow, varied in color (red, snow-white, blue, orange, yellow and different shades of purple);
During the flowering period, orchids lose their pleasant aroma.
