Dendrobium johannis

Also known as: Johan's Dendrobium or Dendrobium johannis h.v. johannis Dendrobium undulatum var. johannis Dendrobium johannis h.v. nigrescens The Chocolate Tea Tree Orchid in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Australia

General Information

Johan's Dendrobium is a small to large sympodial warm to hot growing epiphytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Australia. It is named after the John Gould Veitch, 1st orchid breeder.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 10-60cm. Each new growth has numerous thick lance shaped leaves that grow to 10-15cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 5-46cm

Flowers

Numerous long lasting, fragrant blossoms appear during Autumn and Spring

Fragrance

The orchid is fragrant. The fragrance can be described as spicy

Blooming Season

• Autumn
• Spring

Substrate(s)

• Coarse

Care Notes

This orchid goes into a dormancy phase during winter, during this phase it is best not to provide water unless the plant is starting to look thirsty. The lack of water increases the chance of flowering in spring, and also reduces the likelihood of any rot forming. Do not resume watering until new growth has appeared and is growing strongly.

Often a period of intense growth occurs after dormancy. During this time the amount of light, water and fertiliser the plant receives will directly impact the amount of growth that occurs during this time, and in the case of seedlings, will reduce the time required to reach maturity.

It's recommended to heavily reduce the water amount at the middle to end of autumn to trigger dormancy. Leaves on older bulbs will begin to drop during this time while the newer bulbs continue to mature until terminal leaves appear at the tip of the pseudobulbs.

Repotting can be done any time of the year though it's best to do it in early spring when new growth is appearing as this also means new roots will appear to help the plant anchor into the new media and offset any damage to established roots during the repotting process.

 

Fragrant:

• IsFragrant

Climate

Grows at low elevations. Rainfall ranges from 3mm to 462mm per day, heaviest in July and lightest in March. Humidity ranges from 69% to 80%, highest in August and lowest in May. Temperature ranges from 23C to 32C, highest in June (26C to 32C) and lowest in January (23C to 28C).

Watering

These orchids prefer a constant supply of moisture, with a slight drying out between waterings. Saucers can be placed under pots to retain moisture during hot weather, however the saucers should be removed or let to dry every 1-2 weeks to prevent rot. Keep an eye on the plant especially in hot weather and look for cues of under/overwatering and adjust accordingly.

Fertiliser

dormant-medium-demand-orchid 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

These plants are quite forgiving and will do well repotted ever 2-3 years. The mix should be coarse, well draining, and allow space for air to move and for roots to grow. 

Alternatively, these plants will also do well mounted to tree fern or cork slabs, or mounted to trees.

Best time for repotting or mounting the orchids is the end of winter when new growths start to appear. Avoid repotting during hot weather,