Dendrochilum uncatum

[Miss_Cat]

A new acquisition, this little Dendrochilum uncatum is barely 7" tall and growing in a 2.5" pot. It is one of the smallest of the Golden Chain Orchids and came with 6 spikes of amazingly beautiful tiny flowers. The scent is odd and pungent, can't really call it a fragrance.

I've placed it in a terrarium with good air movement and about 75% humidity but it seems to be drying quickly. Is anyone familiar with this species? What would be an optimal temperature and humidity for it?
Many thanks in advance.

[RosieC]

Really lovely!

[WhiteRabbit]

Nice one!

[Polarizeme]

This one is listed as a hot to cool growning epiphyte or lithophyte.
I do not raise this species, but in my experience with Dendrochillum, it probably needs a well draining substrate and a decent amount of humidity 50-75%. Of the Dendrchillum that I have, the ones with PBulbs are in a bark mix and they do well in that. The grassier types are in sphagnum. They like moisture but do not like to be soggy wet. I put all my Dendros in clay pots to help with the water exchange. They winter in the greenhouse with the Pleurothallids and do fine, with lows in the 50's at night.
The Dendrochillum are on higher shelves where they get the highest amount of light, in Summer up to 2500 fc, during parts of the day. The vast majority of light is lower at 1300-2000 foot candles, with no direct sunlight on the plants.
Hope that helps.

[Miss_Cat]

Thank you Polarizeme!

[cbuchman]

I have this one too and I had 18 spikes this year (my second year - 1o spikes last year). I grow mine in a plastic net basket, lined with sphag and filled with small bark. I hang mine for extra air movement in a low to low medium light. I don't have high humidity in the winter (I struggle to keep it above 40%), but it doesn't seem to mind. I water before it is bone dry. It is outdoors in the summer.

[Miss_Cat]

Wow! I was intrigued by its floriferous habit hoping it will do the same for me eventually, but 18 spikes, congrats cbuchman!! Mine is in a net pot lodged into a plastic pot now growing in my little terrarium with a little fan for air movement. Should I take it out of the 2nd pot? Roots are growing out if the net pot and I'm afraid to disturb them.

[cbuchman]

Cat, if its working no need to change. Everyone's growing environment is a little different.

I've found that every new growth blooms! So I love it. Someday we'll both have specimen size plants with hundreds of blooms, right?

[howze01]

Glad to see you growing these successfully cbuchman. I really like the Dendrochilum and with you in NJ it makes me a bit more confident I can keep them...eventually.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Beautiful, and so many spikes, amazing plant!