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Dendrobiums are cool as well as warm loving orchid and is sympodial in habit and epiphytes in habitat. They are native to South East Asia and South Asia but are also found in other parts of the world.
Dendrobiums are commercially cultivated both for potted flowering plants and cut flowers. This genus have both evergreen and deciduous types and is characterized by flower spike emerging from the new growth and old canes respectively.
The general cultivation technique is similar in all orchids (preferred temperature and high humidity). It can be cultivated in a pot or can be planted in the ground with modified media with good drainage. Potted plants or plants planted in the modified media in the ground can be kept under shade net to prevent injury by direct sun light.
Dendrobiums can be propagated by seeds, division, cuttings or separation of adventitious growths (kiekies) and micro propagation. The most common being division or cuttings at domestic scale and micro propagation for commercial scale. The popular media used for growing Dendrobiums are a mixture of brick bits, charcoals, coconut
husks, bark chips or stones.
The most important thing is the media needs to be porous, aerated, well drained and slightly acidic (pH 5.0). Prior to use of the media, it is recommended to fumigate with Sylvox (Hydrogen peroxide with nano silver) at 2-3ml/L. After transplanting, irrigation should be given but the media needs to dry between the intervals; irrigation needs to be done more frequently during the summer months.
Dendrobium performs well with 20:10:10 NPK at 0.1% (1g/L water) foliar application at fortnightly interval during the vegetative growth phase in the first year. However, second year onwards nutrition application is based on growth, flower bud initiation or flowering stage.
