Lighting for dendrobium antennatum?

[astrid]

Hello everyone.

I am unclear on how much light to give my den antennatum.

I read online in several places that it prefers bright, indirect light. Maybe something between an oncidium and a cattleya.
The grower I bought it from stressed *no* full sun.

However, I see some of you on here who seem to have acclimated your den antennatums to bright or full sunshine. I swear that I have even seen once or twice people with massive dendrbium antennatums growing outdoors with minimal shading in Florida!!

So what's going on?

I am currently giving a brassavola nodosa some light through a shower curtain, and it is getting purple speckled leaves. I have been putting the den antennatum in the bright light near the brassavola for 30 minutes or so at a time, then moving it to bright shade while I do my work.

I just don't know what's optimal for this plant and can't find a firm, conclusive answer.

Thanks for any tips and help!

[bethmarie]

Glad you asked the question, astrid! I just got one of these on Tuesday. The grower of mine said it does fine in cattleya light, but I'm looking forward to replies from OB members, especially any who have grown this one under lights.

[theloyalplum]

I just got my Spatulata type Den. this week also. From what I've gathered on this particular type of dendrobium, full sun or at least Catt level light. High humidity, which is kinda a given, and good air flow so that they can tolerate the heat and sunlight. Keep moist, allow to approach just dry before watering and the leaves should be a healthy light green or even a smidgen lighter. Crossing my fingers all of ours turn out okay!

[astrid]

Originally Posted by theloyalplum

I just got my Spatulata type Den. this week also. From what I've gathered on this particular type of dendrobium, full sun or at least Catt level light. High humidity, which is kinda a given, and good air flow so that they can tolerate the heat and sunlight. Keep moist, allow to approach just dry before watering and the leaves should be a healthy light green or even a smidgen lighter. Crossing my fingers all of ours turn out okay!

I mean, I've heard this information, too, but the vendor was adamant that there was to be NO full sun for my antennatum. So I'm just left a bit confused now. I think I'll keep it somewhere between cattleya and oncidium light and just hope for blooms... I dunno!

[theloyalplum]

Originally Posted by astrid

I mean, I've heard this information, too, but the vendor was adamant that there was to be NO full sun for my antennatum. So I'm just left a bit confused now. I think I'll keep it somewhere between cattleya and oncidium light and just hope for blooms... I dunno!

Well I guess there's only one way to find out! I was told my hybrid was grown in nearly direct sun, so I'll keep it that way with a few small changes!

[katrina]

I don't grow this one but here is what Orchid Wiz say about the habitat...

ORIGIN/HABITAT: New Guinea and adjacent islands. Plants are common in lowland swamps and coastal gallery forests through the entire north and west coasts of New Guinea. Plants may be found between sea level and 3900 ft. (0-1200 m), but they most often grow near 500 ft. (150 m). Plants also grow in the Solomon Islands and Australia where they are found at about 1050 ft. (320 m) in the McIlwraith Range on the northern Cape York Peninsula. Plants occur in bright locations with high humidity. They are often found along creeks near waterfalls and rapids where the rocky terrain causes breaks in the forest canopy.

And the culture info:
2000-3000 footcandles - so that's about mid-catt light. I grow my brassavolas brighter than you describe yours so I'm going to guess the den would be very happy next to the brass. Just watch it initially...if the previous grower has it in lower than ideal light then it'll need a bit of acclimating to your light.

FWIW - given the native habitat...I would guess that this one wants a good deal of year round moisture. So, more consistent moisture than you'd give the brassavola.

[CA2FLxplant]

I know this is an old post but I'm gonna chime in and brag a bit.. This antennatum is in *almost* full sun, sitting at the base of palm trunk...yep, I'm in Florida (was the screen name a give-away??)

[No-Pro-mwa]

Nice plant.

[Suri85]

I live in Jakarta, Indonesia. I have two types of antennatums, the regular and long horned variety. Both are grown full sun on a 28th floor balcony and it seems to love it. Keep growing new bulbs and (especially the regular ones) never stopped flowering.

Many spatulata dendrobiums love the sun, water, humidity, heat and air circulation and antennatum is one of the easiest and fastest growing spatulata if you give lots of the mentioned factors, but I think it is the most forgiving one in term of light. I got my long horned variety as a freshly collected plant and I put it in the shadiest corner of my balcony next to the washing machine. Within a couple of weeks I saw new roots and growth appear and a surprise spike

[Jim S]

I just bought my first den. - a Dendrobium Antennatum. It's a small plant, about 5 inches high. After a month of doing nothing it's growing two keiki's and maybe a new growth at a very fast rate. I use high level, filtered direct light. This plant gets about 5-7 hours of 3,000-3,500 fc of filtered direct light, then light drops to about 2,000 fc indirect. I keep the plant very moist in a pot with mostly small bark and a little sphagnum. I've put many holes in the pot so it dries out very quickly, preventing rotting conditions.