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These notes are intended to cover growing Australian Native Cool-Growing Dendrobium
Orchids in shade-houses, etc, as well as landscape plants.
| POSITION |
Semi-shade with good air movement but not strong winds, eg, westerly. If in a
bush-house, preferably 50% shade. |
| LIGHT |
Bright light is required for flowering; will tolerate full morning sun but avoid
direct western sun from 10.00am onwards especially in summer. |
| WATER |
This really depends on your conditions for ventilation, humidity, light and shade,
covering of shade cloth or fibre-glass, potting medium (eg, bark, sphagnum moss,
peat/perlite), plastic or clay pots. Our bush-houses are on the side of a hill in full
sunlight without any surrounding trees, sheds, houses, fences, exposed to all the breezes
and strong winds. Unless you have the same conditions your watering program will be
different to us and other growers. In general we water every day or second day in summer
(if not raining) and once per week in winter. The best method is to check the potting
medium and if it is damp do not water. (More orchids are killed by overwatering than any
other action). |
| RE-POTTING |
We only repot when the orchid reaches the sides of the pot. However the potting mix
will only last two years and the orchid should then be repotted with fresh medium. We only
use bark (no additives) as potting medium, 10mm grade up to 100mm pots, 15mm for all else
up to 300mm saucers with 20mm or 25mm for Den speciosum from 150mm upwards. |
| FERTILISER |
We use 2 liquid fertilisers, one with a higher nitrogen value, NPK 14:5:22, from
September to February and another with higher phosphorous and potassium values, NPK
7:11:27 from March to August. We use both of these at 1 gram/litre and (attempt to) apply
weekly - weakly and weekly (how many times have you heard that?). |
| MISTING |
In an attempt to simulate the conditions at 600 metres and above from March onward we
lightly mist the plants at dusk to drop the temperature a few extra degrees to promote
good uniform flowering in Spring. This continues until early May when we get consistent
overnight temperatures below 10ºC. |
Cedarvale Orchids
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