Bulbophyllum wendlandianum

Also known as: Wendland's Bulbophyllum or Phyllorkis collettii Cirrhopetalum collettii Cirrhopetalum proliferum Cirrhopetalum collettianum in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Myanmar Thailand

General Information

Wendland's Bulbophyllum is a small cool to warm growing epiphytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Myanmar and Thailand. It is named after the German Orchid Gardener- collected in Mexico in the 19th century.

Plant Description

Grows to 3-8cm. Each new growth has a single erect arching, oblong shaped leaf that grows to 2.2-5cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 1.7-2.5cm. The plant tends to climb or sprawl with each new growth

Substrate(s)

• Coarse
• Medium
• Fine
• Bark
• Spaghnum Moss
• Perlite

Care Notes

These orchids like to be kept on the dry side, but may need to be watered daily during warm weather, and prefer a well draining mix or also do well mounted, provided they can be watered regularly.

These are quite a forgiving orchid, there are no special requirements to get this orchid to flower, just good care and consistent conditions. Larger plants may be more fussy and can react poorly to change; a poorly timed repotting, a pest infection or an unusually hot day can set them back for a couple of years. However, even plants that have been treated poorly can thrive, and if they are set back they often recover much stronger then they would otherwise be.

Climate

The orchids are well adapted for hot weather, accompanied by sporadic, unpredictable rainfall and a generally dry climate. They can tolerate a lot of neglect as they are quite used to it, however they can be prone to underwatering and may collapse in cold, wet weather.

For this reason it's best to dedicate a sheltered, protected area for them where the watering can be controlled, such as a corner of a greenhouse or in a sheltered balcony. They can also do well hung near the roof of a shadehouse or sheltered greenhouse where they receive the extra heat but not as much water as other plants. 

Grows at low to high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 8mm to 292mm per day, heaviest in September and lightest in January. Humidity ranges from 58% to 83%, highest in August and lowest in March. Temperature ranges from 8C to 31C, highest in April (19C to 31C) and lowest in January (8C to 24C).

Fertiliser

Apply liquid based fertiliser per recommended directions. They can benefit from a high phosphate fertiliser leading up to flowering season, followed by a high nitrogen fertiliser when new growth appears, and a balanced fertiliser in other times. These orchids can also tolerate slow release fertiliser applied 1-2 pellets per cup (250ml) of media.

Use balanced fertiliser year round. Be sure to flush out excess fertiliser by running water through the media regularly year round. Apply fertiliser regularly at half strength year round. Use a high Nitrogen fertiliser during Spring and Summer. Use a high Phosphorous fertiliser during Summer.

Potting

Due to the growth nature of these plants they are best mounted onto cork, tree fern slabs, or even trees if the climate suits. Water regularly especially in hot weather.

This plant does very well in baskets or suspended pots This plant does well mounted. Repotting is best done annually.