Dendrobium agrostophyllum is found in wet forest in coast areas of north Queensland, Australia. It grows in cool cloud forests on upper tree branches or trunks of trees at altitudes of 800 to 1300 meters above sea level.
Dendrobium agrostophyllum also called as The Grassy Leafed Dendrobium, The Buttercup Orchid, Callista agrostophylla, Dendrobium muellerianum, Monanthos agrostophyllum, Trachyrhizum agrostophyllum, is a species of the genus Dendrobium. This species was described by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1872.
IDENTIFY DENDROBIUM AGROSTOPHYLLUM ORCHID PLANT
Dendrobium agrostophyllum is found in wet forest in coast areas of north Queensland, Australia. It grows in cool cloud forests on upper tree branches or trunks of trees at altitudes of 800 to 1300 meters above sea level.
It is a small to medium sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with a slender, creeping row of pseudobulb-like stems which are 10-60 cm long and 0.5-1cm wide that carrying 20 or so, thin, grass-like, 4-10 cm long and 0.8-1.2 cm wide leaves.
It blooms in winter till spring with 2 to 10, fragrant, waxy, flowers that do not open fully on a short, racemose inflorescence that arises from the nodes at the upper end of the slender canes, either old or new. The flowers are yellow. Lateral sepals narrow and pointed, dorsal sepal oblong and about a third of an inch in length. Petals ovate and a little longer. The labellum nearly square, about half an inch long and wide.
DENDROBIUM AGROSTOPHYLLUM ORCHID PLANT 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:
Dendrobium agrostophyllum do best in full sunshine (25000-50000 lux), close to the glass where glasshouse treatment is required. In addition to the natural light, you will have to use artificial light lamps.
Temperature:
The average temperature of the summer day is 30-32 ° C, night 22 ° C, giving a daily difference of 8-9 ° C. In winter the average day temperature is 28-31 ° C, night 11-13 ° C, giving a daily difference of 15-18 ° C.
Humidity:
From summer to autumn, The Buttercup Orchid need the humidity of 80-85%, but for most of the remaining period it drops to 60-70%. Too dry air has a negative effect on the development of the plant: its growth is inhibited, and the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out. The higher temperature, the higher the humidity should be, and the higher the humidity, the more often and longer it is necessary to ventilate the room where the plants are contained, otherwise the probability of rotting and various kinds of fungal diseases.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Dendrobium agrostophyllum grows best in pots with staghorn peat as substrate (crocks and charcoal at the bottom of the pot). After potting, keep the plant in a cool, shady place for a few days before placing it in its growing position. Do not overpot. Use the smallest pot that will accommodate your plant.
It does not need frequent repot, therefore, it is desirable to transplant only when it is really necessary, for example, in cases of strong salinization or compaction of the substrate, at its critically high or low pH (the norm is from 5.5 to 6.5) or when the plant grows very strongly and the pot becomes cramped to it (pseudobulbs begin to hang from the edges of the pot). Repotting is best done immediately after flowering when new roots and new growth begin to grow.
Watering:
The Grassy Leafed Dendrobium will require heavy watering until well into the Autumn, the plants then being allowed to dry out for the Winter, except for a soaking about once in four to six weeks. Watering is directly dependent on the temperature of the content, the higher it is, the more often it needs to be watered. When watering, excess water should flow freely from the pot, since stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pan can very quickly lead to rotting of the roots and the lower part of the plant.
Fertilizer:
It is recommended to use a 1/4-1/2 dose of orchid fertilizer weekly. You can use the balanced fertilizer throughout the year or from spring to mid-summer use high-nitrogen fertilizer, and then until the end of autumn high-phosphoric fertilizer to stimulate flowering.
Rest period:
Dendrobium agrostophyllum need less water in the winter, especially if they grow under the conditions of a dark, short day that occurs at moderate latitudes. They should dry somewhat between waterings, but they should not be dry for a longer period. Frequent morning fogging and rare, economical watering should allow the plant to go through a dry period of rest, while providing it with sufficient humidity. Fertilization should be reduced or eliminated until new growths appear and a more abundant spring watering begins.
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