I am seeing little (2 mm) green pips emerging at the centers (crowns) of two leafy pbs in my little cluster of six (small type Den king.). If these can be called "new growth," may I water now, and if so, how frequently is advisable. AND when will it be time to resume fertilizing?

Your help will be gratefully received :)

Sweetcicely

Definitely water and fertilize if the plant is active.

Nick

It is remarkable that these plants manage to get through the winter with scanty misting alone. The group did lose one leaf, but looks healthy. It also got a good dose of cold early on and, again, in December, so I'm hoping it will bloom.

Many thanks!
Sweetcicely

It is quite dry, here, compared to the east coast (US), so maybe, if I limit further watering to misting until April, it won't revert. If the pseudobulbs make keikis, then I will have learned something the hard way...durnit. If they bloom... Well, then, I'll post a picture!

Thank you for chiming in, 126; every new piece of information helps.
Sweetcicely

It is probably easier to grow in California than some other parts of the USA. My impression of San Diego is it is more like here then say NE USA.

Now this drought stuff for Dendrobiums.....

Dendrobium canaliculatum. Warm dry winter. High light in a glasshouse. Flowers in spring. Grown on a mount. watered about once a week in winter.

Dendrobium bigibbum, Warm dry winter. High light in a glasshouse. Flowers in late autumn early winter. Grown in small pots. watered about once a week in winter.

Hardcane Dendrobium Hybrids. Warm conditions, high light. reduce watering a bit in winter.

Dendrobium kingianum. This is not a tropical orchid. In other words it doesn't come from the tropical lowlands or Monsoon climate. It is adapted to here where it might rain a lot or it might rain not. It is adapted to survive 10 inches in a month or almost nothing. Winters are drier on average.

An average winter's day has the wind coming from the west across an arid Continent. Low temp 40 to 50F range Day highs 60 to 70F rang. Windy, humidity say at mid day 30% . This can all change if the wind comes in from the Pacific.

Read Wilford Neptune's notes they are a link on the last thread.

Needless to say none of my kingianums are in a glasshouse, they are in a shadehouse getting whatevever the weather throws at them. This bone dry stuff is wrong, If it is sunny and arid in winter i might give them a squirt with the hose once a week. As for misting them daily......

I have long-since read the most recent DenKing thread and have read Dr. Neptune's goodly notes so many times that I see tridents in my dreams.

(About a year ago Dr. Neptune posted here and said that he was now in a retirement community and had given his orchid collection to a Massachusetts college--in western Mass., I think ~ Mt. Holyoke?--for their pleasure and edification.)

You are correct about the San Diego area being closer to the Sydney area in climate, than to the NE U.S. I am also in an area that is dry most of the year, but across the central valley opposite (ENE of) San Francisco. Our temps do go below freezing several times in winter.

Still, our climate is otherwise very close to that you describe for D. kingianum locally, including temps and humidity. Our "rainy" season (i.e., winter), sporadic at best, will taper off between now and May, becoming a bone dry, hot summer until first rain in Sept. or Oct.

I'm strictly an indoor, "windowsill" grower--no lights, no glass house, no shade house--but this little guy (D. king.) has a broad spectrum of light and temps to choose from in our house. With your help (Thank you), and orchidNick's, and Orchid126's, I figure this funny looking cluster of plants will eventually bloom--if not this year, then maybe next. I'm an optimist....and a mum :)))

Thank you all for all the good advice and information.

Sweetcicely

I still follow this forum: I never lived in NJ; I am an honorary member of the MA, NH, and Cape and Islands orchid societies. When I stopped growing orchids, I spent a year surveying where i might donate my collection. I finally picked Smith College. The campus was designed by Olmstead, and is a recognized Botanical Garden. The greenhouses have 60000 visitors a year. The collection will be used in teaching botany, landscape architecture, and art, and will be part of the standing collection for viewing by the public. The greenhouses are under the control of the Prof of botany, who is interested in orchids, and there is a fulltime manager of the greenhouses who is primarily interested in orchids. The cost of managing the greenhouses is separate from the college, and they have their own endowment, unrelated to either good or bad times.The greenhouses date back to 1895, but were recently renovated or rebuilt. The new one is tied into 3 new classrooms for students.

Wilford Neptune

Thank you for clarifying what my memory failed to produce with accuracy, and for elaborating on the details of your generous donation to the Botanical Garden and botany program at Smith College.

As you have read, members here frequently read, re-read, recommend, and refer to your valued culture notes on Dendrobium kingianum. Yours is quite a living legacy, extending well beyond Massachusetts and New England.

Thank you so much. It is always nice when you drop by :)

Sweetcicely