Best Growing Tips for the Dendrochilum magnum

[sonicwitz]

I received a very nice Dendrochilum magnum and it has now finished blooming. What are the next steps I need to perform in order to

1) Keep it alive and not kill it
2) Have it bloom again!

I live in San Francisco and I have kept the orchid on a window ledge of a West Facing window.


Thank you very much!

[Sandy4453]

Coincidentally, I'm having similar questions right now too sonicwitz. I just added a Lorrie Mortimer Dend. to my collection that I potted up...sort of...long story. I'm in Fla. and although the weather is different here than where you are, Dends have a rest period which is now, winter time in the northern hemisphere and are usually quiet with little growth activity occurring during this time. Keep your Dend. dry. It can tolerate watering every 2-3 weeks until late March. I strongly recommend NO blooming fertilizers as this is the one genera that will put out more keikis than blooms if you do. If you've got your plant in bark, a high nitrogen fertilizer once a month would be ok but not necessary. Dends like to be kept very root bound and once you start seeing new root growth, if yours needs repotting, then is the time to do so.

[Undergrounder]

What a coincidence i just arrived home with a new Dendrochilum wenzelii, i've wanted one for a while and i think i got a decent price..

I just looked up Dendrochilu magnum, wow that's a nice one too.

I hope i can keep mine alive also... a bit worried about if it needs more humidity than i can give it though..

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by SRF

Coincidentally, I'm having similar questions right now too sonicwitz. I just added a Lorrie Mortimer Dend. to my collection that I potted up...sort of...long story. I'm in Fla. and although the weather is different here than where you are, Dends have a rest period which is now, ...

Hi SFR,

I think there is a missunderstanding here Sonicwitz is asking actually for Dendrochillum instead of Dendrobium, which are completelly different genera with also completelly different needs. Dendrochillum is related to Coelogyne

I've got Dendrochillum magnum and Dendrochillum glumaceum a couple of months ago. I have never tried with this genus before, I have performed some research in the web, and also asked a friend from a nursery in Germany. They seem to like as much light as possible during winter, but during sommer they like it better in semi-shade, they also want to be watered every 7-10 days (culture medium should dry out, as they like even humidity) and appreciate fertilizing every second (third waterig). They do best at temps between 16-22ºC (60 - 71ºF), but can tolerate temps slightly out of this window. And they seem to be extremelly sensitive to repotting.

I am trying to give my plants the conditions mentionned above, and they seem to like it. Both plants have 2 - 3 new shoots which "promises" a nice blooming display soon (they use to bloom between Fall and Spring)