Dendrobium tortile is native across Southeast Asia, and in Bangladesh, Assam state of India, and the Andaman Islands. It grows on trees or on rock in forests at elevations around 1220 meters above sea level.
Dendrobium tortile also called as The Twisted Dendrobium, Dendrobium dartoisianum, Dendrobium haniffi, is a species of the genus Dendrobium. This species was described by John Lindley in 1847.
IDENTIFY DENDROBIUM TORTILE ORCHID PLANT
Dendrobium tortile is native across Southeast Asia, and in Bangladesh, Assam state of India, and the Andaman Islands. It grows on trees or on rock in forests at elevations around 1220 meters above sea level.
It is a small to medium sized, cool, ascending to pendant growing epiphyte, terrestrial or lithophyte with club to spindle shaped, grooved and medially flattened stems with tubular leaf sheaths carrying 3 to 4, thin, deciduous, curved, leathery, sharply pointed, 3 inches long leaves.
The Twisted Dendrobium blooms in the late winter and early summer on an axillary, 4 to 8 cm long, 2 to 3 flowered inflorescence arising from the upper leaf axils of leafless canes carrying long-lasting, fragrant flowers. The sepals and petals are of very pale rosy-lilac, while the labellum is pale lemon-yellow with a lilac flush and a few purplish streaks in the throat. It is ciliated at the margin while the disk is downy. Sepals and petals are more or less spirally twisted.
DENDROBIUM TORTILE 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 tortile 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:
From summer to autumn, The Twisted Dendrobium 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 tortile 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 Twisted 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 tortile 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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