Eria spicata

Eria spicata [D.Don]Hand.-Mazz. 1836 SECTION Hymenaria

Common Name: The Spicate Eria

Distribution & Occurrence:

Himalayas to Thailand

The Plant

Small sized hot to warm growing epiphyte found at elevations of 800 to 2000 meters.

The pseudobulbs are elliptic-oblong and laterally compressed and closely stacked together. Each pseudo bulb has 3-5 leaves on the top and older pseudobulbs usually loose their leaves the next season.

Blooms in spring and summer on apex of the leaves, raceme is pendulous with 10-20 flowers. Flowers are creamy yellow colored with a purple column. Flowers do not open fully and are mildly fragrant

Flowers once year during spring and summer and flower lasts a few days.

Cultural Requirements and Nutrition

Grow in complete shade in a fast draining media.

Pest and Diseases

No specific pests or disease

Hybrids

No registered hybrids

Bloomed in Jul 2014

Dendrobium sulcatum

Dendrobium sulcatum Lindl. 1838 SECTION Densiflora

Common Name: The Furrowed Lip Dendrobium

Distribution & Occurrence:

North-eastern states of India to peninsular Malaysia at elevations of 500 to 1000 meters.

The Plant

Small to medium size, cool to warm growing epiphyte has flattened pesudobulbs. Inflorescence is pendulous with a cluster of short lived, fimbriate flowers that appear from the upper leaf axils.

Flowers once year during spring and are short liived (4-5 days)

Cultural Requirements and Nutrition

Grow in bright light but avoid direct sun. Water and fertilize during active growth and reduce watering during winter and completely stop fertilization

Pest and Diseases

No specific pests or disease

Hybrids

Extensively used as pollen as well as seed parent.

Bloomed in July 2014

Dendrobium parthenium

Dendrobium parthenium Rchb.f. 1885 SECTION Formosae

Introduction

Common Name: The Virginal Dendrobium

Distribution & Occurrence:

Sabah & Borneo at 600 to 1100 meters in hill and low land forests

The Plant

Small to medium sized (upto 30 cms) hot to warm growing epiphyte with skinny, long & erect stems with many short, ovate-oblong leaves 

Flowers in 2-3 flowered inflorescence that arise between the leaves. Flowers are long lasting 

Flowers in autumn season

Cultural Requirements and Nutrition

Grow in bright light. Likes to be mounted or grown on a fast draining medium. Water and fertilize during active growth and withhold water and fertilize during winter for 2-3 week and resume as soon as new growth begins

Pest and Diseases

No specific pests or disease

Hybrids

Extensively used as pollen as well as seed parent.

Bloomed in Jul 2014

Blooming in Dec 2014

Some Useful Tips

I am noting some useful tips that I have been following

1) Rice wash water is rich in vitamin B and is good for Orchids. I have been using it for the past 3 weeks or so and orchids seem to love it

2) When foliar feeding orchids, spray on both the sides of the leaf, for some of the genus like Phalaenopsis, the stomata is on the underside of the leaf and would be beneficial to spray on the underside.

3) Do not use inorganic/chemical fertilize weak or infected plants. you are better off using rice wash water to help plant grow better

4) Seaweed extract is great for orchids but do not use seaweed extract too often. Seaweed extract contains certain hormones that speed-up root development but over usage would be harmful for orchids and over usage would lead to stunted growth.

5) Do not buy seaweed extract in large quantities, the hormone in seaweed extract breaks down faster and looses its useful value within an year or so.

6) Keep seaweed extract container away from direct sunlight. sun light accelerates the breakdown of the hormones in seaweed extract.

7)  if you have an fresh water aquarium or your friends have an aquarium, use the aquarium water for orchids.  aquarium water has dissolved nutrients from fish poo and are beneficial to orchids.

8) During periods of low humidity in Bangalore, bare root vanda's are the most impacted. I soak all my bare root vanda's into a bucket of water every alternative day for 30 minutes or so and this seem to help the vanda's from loosing too much of their roots.

9) When using systematic fungicide (carbendazim/ thiophanate methyl), add a very small quantity of 20-20-20 to help plant absorb the fungicide better. This is similar to sugar coated pills that we take.

10) Do not use any copper based fungicide on Dendrobiums.

11)  Do not spray fungicide/insecticide on the flowers or on buds.

12) Neem oil is oil base, spray early in the morning (6-7 a.m.) and not any longer.  spraying later would burn the leaves

13) Rotate fungicide regularly to ensure that the fungi does not immune to the same fungicide.

14) in my experience, carbendazim/ thiophanate methyl are compatible with Streptomycin Sulphate. Hence I usually add this bactericide to my fungicide regimen and apply.

15) Do not mix or create own mixtures of commercial pesticides or fungicides as each of them work differently and mixing them could be harmful to you and orchids.

Dendrobium draconis

Dendrobium draconis Rchb.f 1862 SECTION Formosae

Common Name: The Dragon-Like Dendrobium

Distribution & Occurrence:

Eastern Himalayas to Thailand

Tea made from boiling stems of Dendrobium draconis is used as a blood tonic

The Plant

Small to medium sized epiphyte found at elevations of 700 to 2000 meters. Sheaths are covered with black hairs with leathery leaves

Blooms appear in very short raceme from the apex of the leaves with 2-5 fragrant long lasting flowers in spring or summer

Cultural Requirements and Nutrition

Grows in partial shade. Water and fertilize during active growth and withhold water and fertilizer in winter for a period of 2-3 weeks and start watering and fertilizing when new growth appear.

Pest and Diseases

No specific pests or disease

Hybrids

Extensively used as pollen as well as seed parent.

Bloomed in Jul 2014

Dendrobium formosum

Dendrobium formosum Roxb. var gigantea

Introduction

Synonyms: The Beautiful Giant-Flowered Dendrobium, Handsome Flowered Dendrobium

Distribution & Occurrence:

Eastern Himalayas, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam

The Plant

Medium sized,

Flowers occur in fall to spring in short raceme with 1-4 fragrant flowers that arise from the nodes near apex of the leafed mature cane. Canes are covered with thin black hairs on them and hence belonged to section nigrohiruste aka formosum.

Flowers once year during early or late fall and flower lasts a few weeks

Cultural Requirements and Nutrition

Requires higher light and can tolerate full sun. D.formosum is ever green and do not require a long winter rest to initiate blooms. Water and fertilization should be withheld for a short period 2-3 weeks and should begin to water and fertilize as soon as new growth is observed.

Prefers to be mounted or could be potted in a free draining medium and benefit from under potting than over potting. likes to get dry between watering

Pest and Diseases

General pests of Dendrobium applicable

Hybrids

Extensively used as pollen as well as seed parent due to the size of the bloom

Bloomed in July 2014