Dendrochilum wenzelii is native to the Philippines. These orchids grow on trees on wooded slopes at an altitude of 300 m above sea level.
Dendrochilum wenzelii also called as Wenzel's Dendrochilum (named to honor the Orchid Collector in the Philippines), Acoridium wenzelii, is a species of the genus Dendrochilum. This species was described by Oakes Ames in 1915.
IDENTIFY DENDROCHILUM WENZELII
Dendrochilum wenzelii is native to the Philippines. This plant was first found in 1913 in the southeastern part of the island of Luzon in the vicinity of Sagnaa in the province of South Camarines. These orchids grow on trees on wooded slopes at an altitude of 300 m above sea level. Later, the plants were also found in the north of the island of Luzon near Balbalan in the provinces of Kalinga and Apayao, and also on the island of Leyte near Jaro at altitudes of 500-700 m.
It is a small to medium sized, hot to warm growing epiphytic species, which can reach the height of 40 cm, with tapered, 2.5 cm long pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, leathery, 10-40 cm long and 0.2-0.7 cm wide leaf.
Wenzel's Dendrochilum blooms on a semi-arching inflorescence that arises on a new growth with 30 crowded flowers occurring in the late winter and early spring. The flowers can be greenish-yellow or red with a diameter of 1 cm. Upper sepals narrow and pointed. Lateral sepals slightly longer than the upper, ovate to lanceolate, with a sharp tip. The petals are shorter than the sepals, oval to lanceolate, pointed. The lip is very small, trilobate, with ovate lateral lobes and saciform lobe.
DENDROCHILUM WENZELII CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Dendrochilum wenzelii needs a light level of 20000-30000 lux. The light should be filtered or dispersed, and the plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight in the afternoon hours. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a thermophilic plant. In summer, the average day temperature is 32-34 ° C, and the night 20-21 ° C, with a daily amplitude of 12-13 ° C. The average winter temperature is 26-28 ° C during the day and 16-17 ° C at night, giving a diurnal difference of 9-12 ° C.
Humidity:
Wenzel's Dendrochilum needs the humidity of about 80-85% for most of the year, for 4 months of late winter and spring it drops to about 70-75%.
Substrate, growing media:
Dendrochilum can not tolerate a soggy substrate, so these plants are often grown on a block of a tree fern with a moss pillow around the roots. But with this method of cultivation it is necessary to maintain high humidity and in summer to water the plant at least once a day. During extremely warm and dry weather, it may be necessary to water several times a day.
This species are also grow very well when planted in tiny pots or baskets with excellent drainage. As a substrate it is better to use a mixture of equal parts of cut sphagnum and cut fibers of a tree fern, but you can also use a substrate based on the bark. However, no matter what substrate is used, it should be well drained so that the roots dry quickly after watering.
Repotting:
Dendrochilum wenzelii extremely badly reacts to a solid substrate, so it should be repotted before it begins to decompose. In general, these plants do not tolerate root damage, so during repotting they should be handled very gently.
If repotting or dividing is necessary, it is best done when new roots grow. This allows the plants to stabilize in the shortest possible time and with the least stress.
Watering:
The plants should be watered abundantly for most of the year, with a 3-month slightly drier period in winter and early spring, but excellent drainage should be ensured so that the ground around the roots is never spread or soggy. In addition to the period of active plant growth, watering should be somewhat reduced, but the substrate should not be allowed to dry out.
Fertilizer:
During the active growth of the plants should be fertilized every week 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. From spring to mid-summer, it is more useful to apply fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, and in late summer and fall - a fertilizer with a high content of phosphorus.
Rest period:
Dendrochilum wenzelii need less water in the winter, especially if they grow under the conditions of a dark, short day that occurs at moderate latitudes. In winter, they should be kept slightly drier, but they should not be dry for a longer period. At the same time as reducing the amount of water, fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until new growths appear and the spring begins to be more abundant.
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