Taking Care of Dendrobium Orchids

You may be the proud owner of a Dendrobium orchid plant and now you are looking to provide the best Dendrobium orchid care. What should you do, or not do, for your Dendrobium plant? This hubpage will help you with taking care of Dendrobium orchids and orchid growing in general.

Dendrobium orchids originate from a wide area, including South East Asia, New Guinea, Australia and even New Zealand. Some species are found in the Himalayas and others in lowland tropical forests. Because some of the Dendrobium species are highly sought after, there have been many varieties and hybrids produced, such as the Dendrobium nobile. Due to the huge natural range of the Dendrobium genus, it is important to know exactly from which location your orchid originates from in order to provide the most suitable growing conditions for it. I have listed three distinct regions and describe the optimum growing conditions in each so that you will have a better idea how to care for your Dendrobium orchid plant.

Himalayan Dendrobiums

The Himalayan climate has cold, dry winters. During the winter months, reduce the watering and feeding. Ensure that your plant receives plenty of air circulation and light. Summer months are warmer and wetter, so increase the humidity levels and feed and water your plant more often. Himalayan plants include the Dendrobium nobile, a beautiful specimen plant where the flower lip is often marked in contrasting colors.

New Guinea Dendrobiums

The natural environment is sunny, warm days and cooler, misty nights. Feed your plant often with diluted fertilizer and keep the potting mix from drying out. Common New Guinea Dendrobium orchids include the Dendrobium oberrans and the Dendrobium lawesii.

Australian Dendrobiums

Theses plants include the Dendrobium kingianum and they prefer drier more conditions. During summer months spray once a week, but in spring and autumn water with dilute orchid fertilizer at least once a week.

In general, Dendrobiums prefer day temperatures of about 80 degrees F and night temperatures of 65 degrees F. They like full morning sun but need to be shaded as the day temperature increases. Dendrobium orchids flourish in small pots with a bark/charcoal/perlag potting mix that allows for free drainage. Repot annually during Spring, or after the flowers have bloomed. NPK 25-9-9 fertilizer can be used throughout the year at a dilution of one teaspoon for every gallon of water.

These are some general guidelines for taking care of Dendrobium orchids. For more valuable orchid growing information, have a look at the excellent orchid care guide, the Orchid Care Expert.

Learn How To Care For and Grow Amazing Orchids Using Easy To Follow, Step-By-Step Techniques

• Find out how much light your type of orchid needs.
• Does your Cattleya need to be watered at different intervals to your Epidendrum? It certainly does...
• Follow the 7 step procedure for producing hybrids.
• Find out how the use of bamboo skewers can solve your watering problems.
• Are you using fertilizer on your orchids? Learn to use it in the correct frequency.
• Find out how to care for your orchid throughout the year with the Taking Care of Your Orchids For Every Season chapter.
• Hot tips for buying the right orchid.
• Learn about growing orchids in a hydroponic garden.
• Recommendations on which orchids are suitable for experts or which can be grown by beginners.
• Hot tips for growing virus free orchids.

For more information on this unique orchid care guide, visit the Orchid Care Expert.

For the newbie orchid grower, starting off with younger orchid plants is a great way to learn how to care for them as you watch them grow and blossom. When getting a young orchid plant for the first time, try and find out as much about it as possible. Knowing what species it is is very important, as is the sort of environment it is found in the wild. From here you'll have a better idea what watering, temperature, light and humidity requirements it needs.

Make a list of supplies you may need for your young orchid plant. This should include the correct potting mix and a specialized orchid fertilizer. Keep a plant pesticide and fungicide handy in case your plant suddenly gets attacked by something. Orchids generally need repotting once a year so there is no hurry to get another pot just yet. A water sprayer is handy as it is easier to control the quantity of water you give your plant.

It is essential that you get the potting mix right. Most orchids do not grow in the standard garden soil or garden plant potting mixes. There are species of orchid that prefer a bark potting mix and others that prefer a sand mix. Always leave the young orchid plant in the potting mix that you received it in. Don't repot the plant until it has grown to a size where it has overgrown the existing pot. When you do repot, select a pot size slightly bigger as orchids do not like being transferred to containers that are much larger then the one they are in.

Often young orchid plants are kept in potting media that appears quite dry. This is done on purpose to prevent fungal infections. Orchid roots rot very easily if they are over watered. It is much better to gradually water the plant over time, rather than do a sudden soak if the potting medium is very dry. Because young orchid plants are not yet flowering, they require different light intensities to those needed by mature orchids. If the lighting is too low, the leaves will start to turn a dark green color. Gradually increase the light by changing the plant's position and when the leaves appear a healthy light green color then that should be fine.