Dendrobium pulchellum

Also known as: The Charming Dendrobium or Dendrobium pulchellum h.f. album Dendrobium pulchellum h.f. aureum Dendrobium pulchellum h.f. luteum Dendrobium pulchellum h.v. primulinum Dendrobium brevifolium Callista pulchella Dendrobium dalhousieanum in Thailand - Ueang chang nao - Ueang takwai in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Manipur - India Thailand

General Information

The Charming Dendrobium is a sympodial cool to warm growing epiphytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to India and Thailand.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 60-220cm. Each new growth has numerous leathery oblong shaped leaves that grow to 10-20cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 60-220cm. The plant forms pendant or arching growths

Flowers

Numerous fragrant blossoms appear

Fragrance

The orchid is fragrant.

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 to high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 5mm to 274mm per day, heaviest in August and lightest in February. Humidity ranges from 55% to 84%, highest in August and lowest in April. Temperature ranges from 10C to 33C, highest in April (21C to 33C) and lowest in February (10C to 26C).

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

These orchids do not need to be regularly fertilised and roots may be sensitive to salt build-up, dying back and therefore impairing the plants growth or even killing it.

If fertilising, use half to quarter of the recommended amount of fertiliser. If they receive fertiliser as part of a collection, be sure to flush out the pots regularly with fresh water and monitor the roots by checking how much resistance is given by the plant when nudged in its pot or mount. If the plant becomes wobbly or loose, repot in fresh mix or rinse the media/mount thoroughly and do not fertilise for at least 3 months.

Apply fertiliser regularly at half strength year round. This plant is sensitive so apply fertiliser sparingly at one quarter recommended strength or less. 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,