Dendrobium aqueum is endemic to southern India. It is found in the upper reaches of Palakkad district, in the State of Kerala. It grows in abandoned coffee plantations at elevations of 900 to 2200 meters above sea level.
Dendrobium aqueum also called as The white Dendrobium, Callista aquea, Dendrobium album, is a species of the genus Dendrobium. This species was described by John Lindley in 1843.
IDENTIFY DENDROBIUM AQUEUM ORCHID PLANT
Dendrobium aqueum is endemic to southern India. It is found in the upper reaches of Palakkad district, in the State of Kerala. It grows in abandoned coffee plantations at elevations of 900 to 2200 meters above sea level.
It is a miniature to small sized, warm to cold growing epiphyte with jointed, stout, decurved to pendulous, yellow green in youth, larger at the apex stems carrying many, spread along the stem, dark green, ovate-oblong, acute, sometimes undulate leaves.
The white Dendrobium blooms in the later summer through winter on a short, 1 to 3 flowered inflorescence. The flowers are about l.5 inches across, the labellum being rather shorter than the sepals and petals. Sepals and petals creamy white, with a greenish tinge, the labellum being white with a yellow disk.
DENDROBIUM AQUEUM 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 aqueum like plenty of light, but cannot stand the full noonday rays of the sun (15000-40000 lux, filtered or diffused light is recommended.). These usually do best when placed so that they can get the early morning sun, but are shaded from about 10 a.m. onwards in the Summer time. In the Winter they can usually stand the sun's rays up to 11.30 a.m.
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:
For most of the year, The white Dendrobium need the humidity of almost 80%, but at the end of winter and at the beginning of spring it drops to around 60%. 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 aqueum grows best in wooden baskets with staghorn peat as substrate (line the bottom with a few large pieces of wood-charcoal, which helps to provide aeration, and counteracts any tendency of the compost to ferment). The pseudobulbs can be tied, where necessary, to the hanging wires, thus ensuring stability.
They can also be grown in pots with staghorn peat as substrate (crocks and charcoal at the bottom ot 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 white Dendrobium will need heavy watering from the commencement of Summer until the first chill spell of Autumn, when watering should practically cease until the new shoots appear in Spring. 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 aqueum 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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