Anyone with experience with Dendrochilum?
 

Good Evening OB :waving

This is really a 'feeler' question - One of my birthday presents a couple of weeks ago was a voucher for Burnham Nurseries and, although they've already put a lovely Phal aside for me (whilst I decide if there's anything else I'd like to add to the order!), I was considering trying a Dendrochilum. They have three: uncatum, cobbianum and glumaceum. I was considering the uncatum (as it's compact and can fit in a gap better than the others), but I was wondering if anyone could give me some culture info based on experience - any advice would be most welcome :)

(Just for info: I've had good experience growing Coelogyne, so I can get cool/ intermedite temps, but (other than hand misting) I can't get very high himidity levels)

and because I'm an eternal optimist, I'm gonna give this a :bump:

I had a dendrochilum magnum that I just loved, but managed to kill it after it was done flowering. It was very fragrant and I will be getting another one some day. It had a wonderful scent like clean soap.

Hello

With 296 species now (including named varieties), found from sea level to 3800 metres elevation, it wouldnt be fair for me to give you generalised culture info on this genus.

However those three species you mentioned are common in cultivation. A lot of people still incorrectly call Dendrochilum uncatum as its synonym, Dendrochilum formosanum. I have found Dendrochilum uncatum can get bud blast quite easily if grown too warm. Give them all lots of air movement. I have nearly all of my Dendrochilum sitting in trays of water year round, not all species will tolerate this though. Watering this way helps raise the humidity but can lead to the new growths rotting if air movement isnt adequate. Watering these three species with good quality water will help prevent the leaf tips going brown.

I recommend Dendrochilum uncatum; it is a great species.

Cheers
Trey

@ Deathan

The way you describe the scent makes me sure your plant was not Dendrochilum magnum but Dendrochilum latifolium var macranthum. Dendrochilum magnum is very rare and nearly all plants labelled as this are actually Dendrochilum latifolium.

The scent that has been described on the real Dendrochilum magnum is odorless or a very faint rubbery scent.

Cheers
Trey

Thanks for your help Trey :) I think you've helped me set my mind towards the uncatum :) I'm quite looking forward to giving one of these ago

Good to know, Trey. I was in love with that plant, but failed to give it what it needed. Hopefully one day I will be able to get another and enjoy that scent again.

I've got three varieties, and find they're actually fairly forgiving as long as you follow a few simple rules. The main one is to be VERY careful when repotting. They don't like root disturbance. You're better off letting them grow until they overflow the pot, and then try just "potting on" by putting the whole thing in a bigger pot and filling in with medium. I grow mine in straight sphagnum moss, watering just as the top of the moss starts to dry out. Most Dendrochilums are water hogs.

Stephen

Hi, thanks for the heads up about potting. I'm planning on using the same method of minimal disruption when I repot one of my coelogyne ochracea after it's finished flowering this year as I hear they can be a bit techy and prone to sulking after a re-pot as well!

Hi all :)
Just wanted to say thanks again and that I've just ordered the uncatum :) It should be here next tuesday so I'll post some pics in this sub-forum when it arrives