1. My Favorites: Dendrobiums!
Introduction:
Name
Started about 5 Years ago
“Wanted Color Year Round”
Venice Newcomers Club Meeting
Carol Wood “You can have color year Round!”
Joined VAOS,
Started with a few plants…
Been experimenting ever since, BUT…
I LOVE DENDROBIUMS!

2. Discussion Points What are they? Popular Types/Sections Basic Needs
How I grow them
Things I’ve Done and Am Doing
Scenes from My Lanai
Questions?
What we’ll talk about tonight is:
What are they?
Some of the Popular Types or “Sections”
Their Basic Needs
How I grow them: (DISCLAIMER!!!)
Things I’ve Done and Am Doing
I threw in a few photos of my lanai that shows how/where I grow them
And, we’ll try and answer some questions that might arise.

3. What Are They? 1,500+ Species + Hybrids! Popular Types/Sections:
Nobile (NO-bil-lay): “Deciduous”
“Phaeleonopsis-Type”: Flower all year*
Latouria: Flower at top of PB
Spatulata: “Antelope”-type Longer lasting
Callista: Ex. Den. lindleyi
Many More!
So… What ARE Dendrobiums?
Of the 30,000 species of orchids, approx 1,500 are Dendrobiums.
Then there are the thousands of Hybrids!
Popular types are:
Dendrobium “Nobile” (No-bill-lay”). They are deciduous: they lose their leaves in winter.
Dendrobium “Phaleonopsis-type”. These can flower all year.
Dendrobium “Latouria”. They flower at the top of the leaves.
Dendrobium “Spatulata”: “Antelope” type. The flowers last a LONG time!
Dendrobium “Callista”. Lindleyi is the new name for the “old” Aggregatum.
And MANY MORE:
Let’s explore each of these in a little more depth.

4. Nobile Flower along the cane/PB Lose flowers/rest in “winter”
No water/fertilizer during “rest”
Begin watering/fertilizing when buds appear in spring
Dendrobium “Nobile”
As you can see from this photo, they flower along the main Pseudobulb.
These lose their flowers and “Rest” over the winter. Look like a dead stem.
Important to note that, during their rest period, they get no water or fertilizer. Just keep them somewhat protected, in a corner…UNTIL you see the first little buds in the spring!
THEN you start to water and fertilize as usual.

5. Phalaenopsis-Type Flower/grow year round Flowers on “Spikes”
Fertilize/water year round
“Sequential” Bloomers
2 YEARS!
Phalaenopsis-type
Personally, these are my favorites.
They put out a LOT of blossoms.
The stay in bloom a LONG time!
With just a few varieties, you COULD have “Color all year round”
I leave mine outside year round.
Water and fertilize year round.

6. Latouria Bloom at top of PB Blooms last several weeks
Honeybee has ‘em!
Roy Tanaka (H&R – Hawaii)
Latouria-types
They bloom from the TOP of the PB
I’ve just gotten into these in the last 2 years.
Got my 1st from Roy Tonaka when he was here at a meeting.
Jeff, at Honeybee Nursery, has them.

7. Spatulata The “Curly” Denbrobiums Spiral, twisted flowers
“Antelope”-type
Can carry 50+ Flowers!!!
“Warm” growers
Not for Florida
Spatulata
These are the “Curly” Dendrobiums
Spiral, twisty flowers
Also called the “Antelope”-type
Think of the animal and how their antlers are all “twisty/turny”
They flower ABUNTANTLY…many with 50+ blossoms per spike!
They are “WARM” growers!
In our “winters” they need to be taken in below 60*.

8. Callista Only about 10 Species “Cool” growers
Great for mounting or hanging!
HD Bag Baby: “Aggregatum”
Callista
Only about 10 Species
They are “cool” growers, great for our area!
The Good news: They put out LOTS of spikes and flowers, so
GREAT for hanging or mounting!
The Bad news: Flowers only last a week or so!
I see these often at Home Depot and Lowes as “Bag Babies”

9. Basic Needs Water Food Any good Orchid Fertilizer at ½ strength Light
Bright, indirect light
Temperature
45° - 95° (depending on Type!)
Basic Needs:
Like most living things:
Water (but not too much!)
“Finger Test” or “Weight Test”
LECA = More Water, Bark = Less Water, Spag = Water 2-3 weeks???
Food
Any good Orchid Food
Light (Mine stay outside, around my pool, under the screen cage, year ‘round)
Comfortable temperatures 45-95*

10. How I Grow Dendrobiums Under my “screen cage” Faces SE
70% Sun from AM until late afternoon
In clay pots
“LECA” medium
Light Expanded Clay Aggregate
Water 2-3x/week
How I grow them:
OUT ON A LIMB: This works for ME!
Different recommendations from more knowledgeable people than me.
Under my screen cage
Faces SE so I get sun from morning until late afternoon
Clay Pots
LECA media (Light Expanded Clay Aggregate) HD, Viagrow, 50 lbs, $46, deliver to store. OR Hydroponic Stores ie Port Charlotte.
Water 2x/wk in winter, 3x/wk in summer
I DO use Dynamite (Red Can - a capful to each plant) each March

11. Things I’ve Done and Am Doing
Semi-Hydroponic
In plastic pots
With Lava Rock Media
Water Culture
No Media, Roots in Water
All LECA
50/50 LECA/Bark
50/50 LECA/Bark Hydroponics
Things I’ve Done and Do
EXPERIMENT!
Semi-hydroponics
Plastic Pots, 2 holes drilled in side, creates a reservoir
Lava Rock media
Water Culture
No media, water in bottom of clear, plastic “pot”
Mixed results; still trying
SEEMS to be good for root recovery of Phals
All LECA
50/50 LECA/Bark
50/50 LECA/Bark in hydroponics (mostly Phals)
NOTE: I do OK with Dendrobiums, Casttleyas, & Oncidiums.
I KILL every Paphiopedilum I get. Still can’t figure them out!
I THINK I’ve got my issues with Phaleonopsis corrected.

12. Scenes from my lanai Scenes from my lanai
Upper Left: Plant stand I made to show plants in flower
Upper Center: Plant stand purchased a few years ago
Upper right: One of my plant stands
Lower Left: My version of the plant stand I purchased. About ½ the price!
Corner of my lanai, looking East.
Den. Blue Fairy: 7 FEET Tall. Resting now, but WAS in CONINUOUS bloom for 2 YEARS!

13. 5 Things to Remember… Basic Needs They Like To Be Pot-bound
Different Media for Different Watering Habits
The Blooms Last A Long Time
They’re Easy and Fun to Grow!

14. Questions???