Light:
- Dendrobiums love morning and afternoon sun. However, they should be shaded from intense afternoon heat.
- Dendrobiums do best in an east or shaded west facing window.
- If
the foliage on the plant is dark green, it is an indication the plant
needs more light. Yellowish leaves indicate the plant is getting to much
light. Ideally, the foliage should be a bright olive green.
Temperature:
- Ideally, dendrobiums need variations of between 15 and 20°F between daytime and
night time temperatures. The night time temperatures should be between
60-65°F and 70-90°F during the day. If the temperatures do get little
high, one should increase the humidity, water and air circulation around
the plant to compensate.
- If dendrobiums are exposed to temperatures below 50°F, there may be some leaf drop.
Water:
- Dendrobiums have water storage bulbs and need to dry out between waterings.
- The
best way to water dendrobiums is to remove them from their decorative
pots and flush them with water for 1 to 2 minutes under a faucet. If
that is not possible, you can also place 5 or so ice cubes on the bark
once a week.
Humidity:
- Dendrobiums
need humidity conditions between 50% and 60% humidity. In warmer and
drier conditions, dendrobiums can be placed on gravel that has water in
the bottom to elevate the local humidity. However, you should never let
the pots sit in water as this will cause root rot.
- On days of high humidity make sure there is good air circulation around the plants.
Feeding:
- In general, dendrobiums do best and are at their healthiest when fertilized on a regular basis. Once a month is ideal.
- The
growers recommend that you use a well balanced formulation such as
30-10-10 or a ratio that is similar. However, it is important that the
plants are slightly moist before fertilizing to avoid burning.