Dendrobium moniliforme

[SlipperFan]

Only one flower, but I'm just glad I'm keeping the plant alive.

 

[Ozpaph]

pretty colour.
Why do you have trouble with it?

 

[SlipperFan]

pretty colour.
Why do you have trouble with it?

I probably didn't know how to grow it. It is doing fine mounted and in bright light.

 

[Chicago Chad]

Dot- believe it or not I grow mine like a Pleurothallid. In moss, loosely packed in a plastic pot and kept rather damp. In the winter I cut it back a bit but don't let the root tips dry back or die. Unlike unicum the tips don't maintain there color or vigor in total absence of water. I may not bloom them the best but they grow like mad.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Dot - I don't know how to grow this one inside because I'm lucky enough to live in its native range and it does really well outside here.

This species has touchy roots. My greatest success is to grow them in clay pots that are designed for them specifically - tall pots that have no bottom and flare at the rim. I grow them in pure sphagnum and water the heck out them in summer. In the winter the rains do most of the work. Fertilizer is applied a few times in the spring and summer. If you keep them too wet the roots rot, especially if the growing medium sours.

For the growing cycle, they like a long summer with near wet conditions provided the drainage is perfect, with lots of heat. In fall they dry off a lot, and in winter are mostly "dry", but are subject to rains and even snow. The typical diurnal temperature range in summer is between 75-95 F and something like 34-50 F in winter.

Under these conditions they naturally defoliate, but also flower well. If you keep them continuously moist they maintain their leaves for a year or more, but flower poorly. Also, while they do fine in bright shade, the best flowering is done with plants grown in a least a few hours of sun. So, if you want the leaves to remain nice (for example the variegated leaf forms), then water them more in winter.

 

[SlipperFan]

Thanks, Chad & Tom. Good information! I'll try to water mine more in the summer.

 

[gnathaniel]

Very pretty, Dot.

 

[MattWoelfsen]

Thank you for this simple instructions KyushuCalanthe. I have a dozen of these plants. They just seem to exist. I was keeping their roots too dry and I noticed most of the sphagnum moss they were planted in where algae laden. So I replaced the worst ones and I'll do the other six later.

 

[Ozpaph]

i grew mine like a softcane dendrobe - wet in summer and dry in winter. Mounting might work well.

 

[Lmpgs]

It is lovely, does it smell?

@KyushuCalanthe Thanks for the cultural info. Very useful indeed.

 

[SlipperFan]

It is lovely, does it smell?

@KyushuCalanthe Thanks for the cultural info. Very useful indeed.

The flower is faded now. Sorry, I don't remember if there is a fragrance.

 

[Chicago Chad]

they usually do-some say french perfume. I prefer a rank bulbo over it but that is just me.

 

[Stone]

I grow mine differently to Tom. I find them one of the easiest epiphytes to grow, at least as easy as Dendrobium kingianum and hardier too!.
I certainly would stay clear of Sphag which will only give you trouble in the long run.
For me they grow best on (hard) treefern or in a mesh pot with big peices of bark and stones so the roots dry within a couple of hours in summer. They are dry growers and do best with dry roots. They grow equally well in the heated glass house or outside in the shade house but they flower better after a good dry chill in winter-down to 5C-
In summer they are drenched every day and fed well. Winter maybe a quick splash twice a month or so. The best way to determine when to water during their dormant phase is to watch the canes and water when they begin to shrivel a bit. If you want a specimen with 100 or more healthy p/bulbs, I would grow them that way..and outside whenever possible.
They can take 0C if dry and 40C if wet.

 

[tenman]

Gee, I just put mine in a clay pot in fine bark, hang it up high for good light and water it along with everything else; it's a weed and just grows into a bush while I pretty much ignore it other than watering. Easiest growing dendrobium I've ever had.

 

[SlipperFan]

!!!

 

[Rick]

It looks pretty healthy otherwise Dot.

Keep it up:clap:

 

[eaborne]

Nice! I have never seen one of these before.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

I'd echo the idea that this is not a challenging species if you can keep the roots happy. They are very fine and delicate. To wit, they need to "dry out" to remain viable. Each growing situation is different, so how you keep them happy is a matter of trial and error. If you grow them as an epiphyte on say tree fern with a bit of sphagnum around the roots, I don't see how you can miss unless the roots stay too dry.

 

[Lmpgs]

I grow mine in a clay pot with orchiata. It's a variegated leaf clone and it grows well so far. I hope it will bloom next spring.

 

[rcb]

I too find these very easy to grow, I have 12 different ones. Each has been divided and one piece grows mounted, one piece grows potted.

The major bloom time is in the spring, with periodic flushes through summer.

I give mine my typical Cattleya culture. But withhold fertilizer during the cooler months. The variegated ones do receive a bit more shade. Temps have gone from low 30 F nights in the winter to high 90s summer days. Mine stay outside year round.

Couple interesting notes. This species is the type species for the genus Dendrobium. And it is in Section Dendrobium, same as nobile.

Congrats on the bloom, and be careful as this species can be addicting.

Renee