How to Grow Hardcane Dendrobiums

[emntee]

A new story entry has been added:

How to Grow Hardcane Dendrobiums

How to Grow Hardcane Dendrobiums The Easy Way

1. Give them plenty of light. Right up to the point of sunburn, then back off a little. That means increase the shade. They like lots of light, it helps them to flower.
2. Don?t worry about humidity. Whatever your humidity normally is, will be just fine. If it's good enough for your Cattleyas and Cymbidiums, then it's good enough for Hardcane Dendrobiums.
3. There is no need to fertilize. They will grow quite well without fertilizer. (They do in the wild)
4. Don't bother about repotting hardcanes. The roots will leap out of the pot and go where they want anyway. So repotting shouldn't be a worry.
5. Don't worry about water quality. Tap water will do just fine. Or bore water. Or dirty dishwater if you must.

But pay attention, because this is THE REALLY CRITICAL BIT.
In winter ;-

• Do Not Water Overhead. Keep The Rain Off.
• Do Not Allow Them To Stay Wet.
• Keep Them Away From Cold Winds.
• Always Allow The Pot To Dry Out Before Watering Again.
• COLD + WET = ROT

If you take this advice, your hardcane dendrobiums WILL grow. I promise. I know people who grow them like this all the time. Grown this way, they often don?t flower at their best. But they will grow and they will flower.

[marka]

What are some names of hardcanes?? Could you name some species?

[Tindomul]

Good Article, now I have a little more idea of do's and don'ts for my little NOID dendrobium. Thanks! This was helpful.

[hamizao]

Well, I learned something today. Good tips there and thanks.

[Alexis in Redland]

I totally disagree that they don't need fertilizer and that they don't get any in nature. Orchids in nature get plenty of nutrients in the rainwater, in decaying plant material, in animal droppings, etc.

Fertilizing your orchids makes for stronger plants (which grow faster, resist bug attacks better, resist disease attack better, forgive temperature extremes easier, put out roots faster) and better, more frequent blooming.

My Dendrobiums bloom on multiple spikes and the flowers last upwards of 6 months at a time. But fertilizing them is critical!

[Tindomul]

Originally Posted by Alexis in Redland

I totally disagree that they don't need fertilizer and that they don't get any in nature.

You know, I didn't catch that statement. You are quite right. But I assume the author ment man made fertilizer. However everyone needs some kind of nourishment. Especially an epiphyte.
Good catch.

[justatypn]

I look at any type of plant as a self...we like water, to much we tend to shrivel to little we dehydrate, we like food, it keeps us healthy, we like it dark at nights, helps us sleep and build up strength, we like the light either it be direct/bright/medium to low it gives us energy and with this we mature into healthy beings and with this our plants show us how happy happy happy they are...

[emntee]

Hi Alex in redland, who either didn't read the whole article or failed to understand what I said regarding fertilizer. The first bit of the article, "How to Grow Hardcane Dendrobiums The Easy Way" is a bit tongue in cheek and intended to show that Hardcanes can be grown with almost total neglect. I have seen it done this way and they do grow and flower. Not well but the still manage to survive.

Point 3. "There is no need to fertilize. They will grow quite well without fertilizer. (They do in the wild)" could probably be reworded as " They grow quite well with almost no fertilizer"

If you they read further down under the heading "How To Grow Hardcane Dendrobiums So they Flower Better"
you will see that fertilizer is mentioned again.
"If you fertilize in the growing season, (the end of winter, spring and into summer) they will grow GOOD. A fertilizer high in nitrogen makes for strong healthy canes. After they mature, (around mid summer to mid autumn) change to a low nitrogen, high potassium fertilizer. This is not really difficult - just read the back of the packet where the ingredients are. There are plenty of fertilizers around, so pick and choose.

Fertilize once a week or once a fortnight, very weakly from the time new growth starts until flowering. After flowering there is often a dormant period until the new spring growth appears. No need to waste fertilizer when there is no growth."

And to Marka who asks me to name some of the species... The Phalaenanthe shape (that's the ones shaped something like a Phalaenopsis) are bred from Den. bigibbum, Den phalaenopsis and orchids of that kind. (The names seem to vary and change depending on who the taxonomist is) These have been crossed with Dens from some of the other Dendrobium sections which have more open flowers.

Most of the hybrids with the Phalaenanthe shape tend to flower once a year and require more warmth. The Intermediate Dens (which have a more open flower) can flower many times a year if they are grown well and are happy. The easiest to grow are the Intermediate hybrids as they are very forgiving. For a looong list of the species, see "Dendrobium and its Relatives" by Lavarack, Harris, & Stocker

Good growing

Tony

[Alexis in Redland]

Mea culpa, Tony - as a matter of fact, I didn't realize there was more to the article than what I read in the post. I got to your point #3, and judged your info as being inaccurate; and I was concerned that a new grower would think fertilizer was unnecessary.

Living in South Florida, I fertilize year 'round because we are warm all year. Granted I go lighter and less frequently in winter, but even then, I wouldn't completely withhold fert. One has to consider their individual growing conditions when reading other folks' advice...