Dendrobium cuthbertsonii

[Leo Schordje]

Nice selections Duane, you should be able to do these.

I had a cuthbertsonii here in Chicago, in a house without air conditioning. Kept it going for about 12 years, with blooms several times a year until the year before the end of the line for the plant. It doesn't need to be that cool, it just doesn't want to deal with heat. I made the mistake of trying a new potting mix on it without learning how often to water it. I ran the plant too dry for several months, maybe longer before I realized the mistake I made. The plant never recovered.

Point is, Den cuthbersonii will survive Chicago summers, if they are in a cool, unheated, unfinished basement, under lights. Temperatures inside were the same as or a little warmer than the nightime outside temperature, but the basement did stay 5 or 10 degrees cooler than outside in the heat of the afternoon sun.

Don't let them dry out, and light as for Phals or Paphs and the plants should grow fine. They may not be as goof-proof as a Phalaenopsis, definitely not a beginner's plant, but they are not that hard to grow, just a bit unforgiving of neglect & damage to roots.

 

[John Boy]

Just playing with my new camera! Tell me what you think.

If there's anyone in Europe willing to sell me a white or good yellow plant: please do let me know!!!

 

[SlipperFan]

Your new camera is serving you very well for close-ups, John Boy!

 

[Wendelin]

Well, I think you are having a good time! :wink:
The close-ups are amazing, especially the last one!

 

[biothanasis]

Excellent close ups!!!!!!! :drool:

 

[NYEric]

That would work well with some nice pleuros!

 

[goods]

I know this thread is old, but I've been researching the culture of this species for a while now. I would really like to try growing it, but I was afraid I couldn't provide cool enough conditions until I saw Leo's post. I have a tank where I grow many intermediate orchids that is inside the house. The A/C is set at 78 during the day and down to 74 at night. I'm guessing the tank gets about 80 with the lights on. At night, I can drop the temps in the room with the tank to the upper 60's. I also have an ultrasonic humidifier running while the lights are on that provides a steady cool mist inside the tank. I have a fan for air movement and the tank is under T5 lights.

Does anyone think this is possible or am I dooming this plant if I choose to try it?

 

[Paphman910]

I know this thread is old, but I've been researching the culture of this species for a while now. I would really like to try growing it, but I was afraid I couldn't provide cool enough conditions until I saw Leo's post. I have a tank where I grow many intermediate orchids that is inside the house. The A/C is set at 78 during the day and down to 74 at night. I'm guessing the tank gets about 80 with the lights on. At night, I can drop the temps in the room with the tank to the upper 60's. I also have an ultrasonic humidifier running while the lights are on that provides a steady cool mist inside the tank. I have a fan for air movement and the tank is under T5 lights.

Does anyone think this is possible or am I dooming this plant if I choose to try it?

I think you should be fine. My friend uses a water hose attached to an ultrafine mister that comes on couple of times in the daytime similiar to to ultrasonic humidifier. They really like the cool mist and I bet they will grow really well.

Paphman910

 

[NYEric]

Tough call! They're cool growers.

 

[goods]

That's why I'm most concerned. I don't think my daytime highs will be too much for it, but I don't know if I can provide enough of a drop in temperature at night.

 

[Braem]

Just playing with my new camera! Tell me what you think.

If there's anyone in Europe willing to sell me a white or good yellow plant: please do let me know!!!

Popow used to have some ... I don't know whether he still has though

 

[Roth]

When I went to see them in the wild I found a habitat way different from everything described by the growers. I have seen decockii and brevicaule too, as well as vexillarius. They were on a bit different habitat.

The cuth I have seen grew by patches on rocks, very shaded. The decockii and brevicaule were on the tree branches, with the vexillarius, with absolutely full sun. During daytime the temperature raises like hell, absolutely sure over 30Celsius, for cuths it was still wet on the rocks and on the ground ( many were terrestrials directly on the ground), decockii and brevicaule were clearly very dry during daytime. But during the night time the temps drop to 12-15C with a lot of fog. I think that's one of the secrets of growing the harder species like brevicaule.

 

[TyroneGenade]

When I went to see them in the wild I found a habitat way different from everything described by the growers.

Thanks for the habitat information. This could be all I need to keep these lovelies alive here in the summer hear.