Hi Patrick, there are numerous extensive past threads on the culture of this orchid. Just put kingianum in the search box to find them.

I think the difference in watering instruction depends on where you are...In Zone 6/NJ perhaps the best way to go is to obtain a copy of the Culture notes written by Wilford Neptune and follow those.

Here you go, patrickalan ~ try the link below.

I'm in the same boat. My little Den. king. sits on the window sill all night for the cold and in the sun (shielding its pot) from dawn to 1pm. I daily spritz only the top dressing of sphagnum. No fert. and no water (except spritz) since the cold began. We'll see...

sweetcicely

Here is a link that might be useful: Wilford Neptune's Den. kingianum culture notes.

Only a mum would put spag on a Dendrobium kingianum. It is known by the general public as the pink rock orchid and is adapted to survive drought and heavy rain.
In most of Eastern NSW in the month of August a whole 6 mm of rain fell. Cannot find a ruler with inches and metric so all i can say is that 6mm is not much.
The rainfall pattern is erratic, all you can say about it is that on average late winter early spring is the dryer time of year.
Anyway, i might have given a squirt or two (with the hose) to the kingianums growing in the shade-house a couple of times in that month but i certainly did not go around spraying them.
There is only one in bud now (last of the season) and that plant suffered the indignity of a 75mm deluge in an hour without dropping buds last week.
This is a tough orchid.

:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))!!

I can hardly stop laughing to type, Arthur. You've got my number--I confess, I'm a mum. I had to put a little blanket on the Den. sigh.

Honestly, I tried to leave this little cluster alone in its dry, dusty pumice and other rock. After accidentally dumping it twice, I finally found a little old thumb pot I'd made which would stably hold the Den pot (and still allow a lot of air passage around it). Then, I laid on a thin patch of Sphag to hold the rock surface.

Your dictum about not giving this orchid so much as the mist of a sigh haunts me Every Day! (OK; you didn't say "the mist of a sigh,") I hear you every time I come around with the spritz bottle. Now, mind you, I am not liberal with the spritzing. If the plant gets wet, I dry it. All I mist is the sphag and the inside of the thumb pot--and that in the lightest way. Promise.

Millimeters/centimeters are familiar, since metrics were all that were used in my college science courses. Your part of NSW is somewhat familiar (and lovely!), as well, since we lived in MacArthur while my husband taught a quarter at U. of Western Sydney-MacArthur in about 2000. We were, however, only there in our Fall, which is your Spring, I guess. It's a hassle to convert temps, but I use the markers 0C, 20C and 30C, which are about 32F, 68F and 86F respectively.

Honestly, it gives me hope that your Den. kingianum was able to hang on to its buds despite the deluge. Three inches in an hour is a heckuva lot of water!

I really appreciate your guidance with regard to this species, and am happy to have Nick's experience, as well, since he is in California, too. I am in a zone that is quite arid in the warm half of the year. Your suggestion of Dr. Neptune's notes should be very helpful to patrick whose climate is closer to that of the good doctor.

Thanks for the help (and for the smiles). And do post pics of your Den. kingianum when it blooms!

Sweetcicely

Hmmmmmm... well I guess I will continue to water my Den. Kingianum right thru the Spring.....and hope for the best....For all the massive confusion I wonder if this really is an "EASY GROWER".....I'm getting way to much conflicting info on how to grow this Dendrobium......

let me add to the confusion: i have 2 of these. last winter, plant A i kept at a south window in upstairs bedroom, watered/fertilized it weekly - it produced a profusion of blooms. plant B i kept in the sunroom western exposure, watered it sparingly and kept quite cool.. no blooms whatsoever. this year i have put plant A in the sunroom and watering it sparingly. plant B is also in the sunroom.. now that i am writing this, think i will put B in the house and see what happens with them this year.
sue

Sue, will be interested to hear the report in the spring!
Jan

HELLO !!! Excuse me, but all of you got off MY TOPIC ---- It was not an invitation to have replies about YOUR Den Kingianum. Can we get back on TOPIC PLEASE HERE !!!!

Soooooooooooooo, it's all about you? Congrats you may be the rudest person to ever frequent the forum.

It is also rude when you ask a question, get replies and you never appear on the thread again.

I don't have a kingie, don't intend to get one, how about others on the forum. Anyone else venturing into kingie growing? Where do you plan to get one? Any vendor recommendations?

Brooke

Patrick, so you don't like how the thread is going? Well then Google kingianum and get the culture info yourself.

I don't have a Dendrobium.
I have never had a Dendrobium.
I don't intend to grow Dendrobium.

I skipped "the massive confusion.....and "to much conflicting info". I need to self-medicate. It's mid-morning. :)

Thanks to arthurm and sweetcicely for the references to Wilford Neptune. I used to enjoy reading his posts a few years ago on the Orchid Guide Digest.

Once upon a time, there was a Belgian/German taxonomist who SHOUTED ALL OF THE TIME and tried to intimidate and insult other contributors. Dr Neptune apparently found greater comfort elsewhere.

Not surprisingly, the Belgian/German taxonomist burned out.

Can we get back on TOPIC PLEASE HERE !!!!

--Stitz--

hello, Jan, thanks for your interest.
sue

sue, I definitely will be interested in the results of your experiment. I was given a big D. kingie alba back in the spring, and while it seemed to have stood the summer's heat without problem, I am not sure if it will bloom in season. Right now it gets cool to cold nights and mostly warmish days with lots of sunlight (except on those gray dreary ones). I could put it in the GH where the nights will be warmer if that would help.

Good lord! This is why I read, but rarely post.

This is a PUBLIC forum for the exchange of ideas and information on orchid culture... and furthermore, it's not the only one on the entire internet. If the responses don't meet your needs, go elsewhere. It's that easy.

Quite honestly, I found the responses to be very informative. They've reinforced the culture I'm using to grow the small Dendrobium I have. So, thank you to everyone who shared.

I'm going back to silent reading mode, now...

In the original post the request was for "proper winter care of this orchid" .

How can i tell someone living in Zone 6/NJ how to care for an orchid during winter? All that can be done is pass on hints. The posts have to be read and then some interpretation is needed.

The job has been done by Wilford Neptune.

It is funny how some orchids have fans, devotees and others cannot see why. I do have quite a few plants of this species but they are leftovers from the days when my son was a Junior Member of an orchid society. People used to give him bits and pieces and they varied a lot in quality. Not some much in flower quality but in amount of bloom.

I think Wilford Neptune may have said "try to buy divisions of named/awarded plants or plants with some evidence of blooming".

There are some clones that never flower or flower poorly even given the best of conditions.

Stitz, perhaps you are talking about Guido B. Anyway, almost back on topic. In the bathroom waiting to completely unpacked are some kingianum seedlings, they are from a nursery owned by a guy who loves kingianums

Raffle prizes for the local orchid society. I would be embarrassed to put a kingianum on the raffle table that was just someone's cast off.

Reading from the catalogue. kingianum seedlings

Den. kingianum Blah Blah
"lots of dark flowers"
Den. kingianum Blah Blah
"excellent shape on strong stems"
"combining two good shaped dark kingis"
"full shaped big pinks, some with speckling"
"strong upright stems carrying good shaped flowers"
"the latest in quality red kingi's"
"quality soft pinks"
"these will be big full shaped pinks , many with speckling"
"Expect huge flowers on strong stems in the pastel shades"
And so on.
These lists are the same the world over, i love them.
.

Stitz, perhaps you are talking about Guido B. Anyway, almost back on topic.

I am back "on topic" in response to you! Yes, my reference was to Guido.

I would be embarrassed to put a kingianum on the raffle table that was just someone's cast off

Easy for you to write! I wouldn't know the difference!

--Stitz--

OH BROTHER !
WAKE UP PEOPLE !

THE RUDE PART OF THIS THREAD IS THE TOTAL JERKS WHO THINK THEY CAN JUST GO OFF ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL TANGENT instead of addressing the posters Thread! Yeah?!!! YOU ARE ALL TOTAL JERKS !
I WILL NEVER VISIT THIS FREAKIN' SITE AGAIN !!!

TOTAL A-HOLES !!!!

Your welcome.

Brooke

hello, cjwatson, plant B was outside all summer while plant A stayed in the sunroom and got alot less light but plant A looks alot healthier than plant B. i have put plant B upstairs at the window were plant A had bloomed previously. i have noted on my calendar to post results in the spring. I would be interested in how yours fare, too - i love to experiment!! alas, plant B maybe one of those nonperformers no matter what. in any case, this is its last chance - either it blooms this spring or it goes into the compost.
sue

Hey Patrickalan

Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out! This is just for fun with useful information disseminated in the process. Let's not take ourselves too seriously.

nick

Maybe Patrickalan is stressed by life and needs to have a hot cup of Zoloft and take up basket weaving, and of course brighter light, cooler temps and more humidity.

burned out

Been growing "Kings" for years. Dr. Wilfred Neptune's sheets are quite informative and I have followed them. Mine stay outdoors until the first of November,and are then brought into a sunroom where the temps vary from the low 60s at nite to the mid 70s during the day. The only water they are given is a daily misting. Watering is resumed when the plants start to put out new growth and or buds.Happy Growing!

Darn, I missed all the fun.

Reading the thread, I thought that the OP was pretty well answered.

After a few responses, IMO, if the thread wanders a bit, nothing wrong with that. It it gets too far off, someone will suggest a new thread.

donaldb, Thanks for sharing your strategy. November 1 is a marker on my calendar also. I grow outdoors as long as the season allows. I don't have a GH.

By December 1, ALL of my orchids are indoors, 24/7, until the weather increasingly warms....the next calendar year...snif snif!

--Stitz--

Ah, the daily misting. This orchid doesn't grow in the "Tropics" it grows in eastern Australia,

Typical winters day.
Minimum 7C
Maximum 17C
Still clear night, Some dew forms
The sun rises and on average the dry, arid westerly wind blows. By the middle of the day the humidity might be about 30%.

So, the timing of the misting is important. I am always suspicious of misting. Done properly it is fine. Too much or at the wrong time of day, it can lead to problems.

Slightly off topic. Stitz, even worse than cast off kingianums are common garden variety reed stem epidendrums as raffle plant gifts.

A famous saying should modified to 'beware of cheap-skates bearing gifts."

Thank you, Arthur! I understand.

I reserve further comments until another moment. I've posted enough today :)

--Stitz--

"So, the timing of the misting is important. I am always suspicious of misting. Done properly it is fine. Too much or at the wrong time of day, it can lead to problems."

Years ago, I used to mist daily. Now, I do it rarely. I learned.

IF I mist correctly on 99% of the days of the year, I might think that WoW! 99%! That's an A+ in skool daze...

The problem with 99% is that means that there are 3-4 days, every year, when "...it can lead to problems". Problems? I learned that means disease. If the disease doesn't kill the plant outright, it might weaken the plant enabling pest critters to weaken the plant...or bring in disease as vectors.

Am I off topic for responding to a recent post?

richardol, Sorry that you missed out on all the fun. The OP here posted the same topic on a different forum. He was argumentative with an Aussie on the other forum, too.

Den. kingianum -- comes from New South Wales and Queensland, correct? These bloomin' Aussies -- what do they know about plants from those places???

arthur, I steer clear of Epi's unless I see it in flower and I choose it for my collection. I have a limited amount of space. Den and Epi are a whole different ballgame for me. My Quality management program does not include those genera.

Should we start another thread or continue wandering? As long as the original topic was pretty well answered, who cares?

--Stitz--

Can be found at the link, below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Dendrobium kingianum culture ?

I don't care if the thread IS off topic! I soak up all the growing info and nuance I can! I've found that sometimes, the more off topic, the more interesting tips you can pick up!

I think somebody just forgot to refill his Prozac or Valium... probably jonesin for that chemical peace of mind! ;-)

Ahhh, a little excitement once in a while...
Actually , beween this and the reference to a thread on the other forum, I have learned more this week than in the last three or four years about kingies. The reiteration of different posters has given me more confidence that this winter I will do it better. And maybe someday actually have blooms!
Thanks all.
Jan

Hi folks!

I normally post in the fragrant and the plumera forums but recently have started to become an orchid nut. Laugh.
I've been reading 'Fragrant Orchids' by Steven A. Frowine which has only fueled the fire for more.
Anyway I live in Tulsa, OK and came across a small, purple blooming orchid in the local conservatory which had an awesome hyacinth like scent. No name tag but I came across a pic in the book and to me it looks like D. kingianum.
I googled the species and came across this thread and had to laugh.
Of course now I want a D. kingianum. :)

Thanks for all the tips if I ever do get one!

-Robert

It's a kingi, enjoy.

Nick

What fun reading this old post. What happened to everyone??

Nick, don't you have a monster Kingi?

Thanks, Nick!

Jane,

This was a fun post to read! :)

-Robert

That was funny, New Jersey orchid growers are an angry bunch.

I am confused tho, Taylors Guide to Orchids says if you let them dry out they will produce keikis instead of flowers.

lol---memories....

I planted a very small keiki yesterday which may be a Dendrobium Kingianum. Since the bark is still moist I shall not water it for a time. I have it in front of a sunny window facing south. Later in the summer I shall move it to a cooler window if necessary. I have read that blooming is encouraged if this orchid type is placed in a cooler place at night (10 C cooler if I remember rightly, by opening the window) so I shall put it in my bedroom where I have the door to my balcony open all night as that helps me sleep better. I have not seen the mother plant in bloom and hope it is blue, not white, as I have no blue orchids so far.

There are no blue Dendrobium kingianums. White,pink and purple is the colour range.
Here is a typical plant.
{{gwi:199257}}
Maybe you have a different type of Dendrobium?

Purple is what I meant. I have no idea what the colour will be and do not know for sure if it is a Dendrobium. If it grows and some time flowers I shall be satisfied, even if it turns out to be white.

Hey! I just joined this site and I'm not really sure what I'm doing just yet so if I'm posting in the wrong place please let me know!

I just got a Den. Kingianum and have read that the more common name for it is pink rock lily.. Being that it grows in rocky outcrops and boulders/cliffs, etc. Wouldn't it be considered a rupiculous orchid? There is a wealth of information about rup Brazilian Laelias and wondered why everybody says to pot it up in bark/perlite mix. I went ahead and potted it in a mix of chunks of cork, charcoal, cyspress mulch and a small amount of LECA since I didn't have any perlite on hand.. Will this work? More importantly, will it work since I repotted in Sept? I'm wondering if it will flower for me..

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the Late Dr. Wilford Neptunes notes.
As for climate maybe think Los Angeles/San Diego.
Read the posts in the thread. At the moment where some kingianums are growing in the shade-house it is 22C the sun is shining and the humidity is 37% and no, I'm not going to go down there and mist them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wilford Neptune's notes

I follow Dr. Neptune's notes as best I can and still no flowers on my kingianum. I purchased mine as "blooming size" a couple of years ago but I don't think it is/was. So hopefully that is my problem.

I have mine potted it bark and charcoal and it grows extremely well. It just doesn't flower for me. I doubt my potting medium is the problem there though.

Vespertine - I am not sure about the cypress mulch in your mix. Specifically am not sure its appropriateness in orchid mixes so hopefully others can comment. I wonder if its shredded nature will hold too much water. Do you use cypress mulch in other orchids?

My bet is that your kingie is tough enough to deal with the late repotting. Whether or not it will flower depends on a lot more like providing the other cultural elements discussed in Neptune's notes.

I have read Dr. Neptune's culture sheet and I intend on following it since my laundry room isn't insulated (though there is one vent in it and with the added heat from the dryer it stays VERY chilly but will ward off any threat of frost.

Greencurls, I am really new to working with cypress mulch but I saw a video on youtube that this guy made and he was planting his Cymbidiums in a 50/50 peat and cypress mix and his plants looked amazing. With all the info on King's available I'd surmise that they are EXTREMELY tough plants, The mulch was purchased at petsmart in the reptile section (where I get most of my orchid mediums) but I was worried about the finer, more shredded pieces retaining too much water so I really tried to pick some of the larger pieces and work that into the mix. The plant I repotted was titled Dendrobium Kingianum but the flowers look just like Berry 'oda' which would make it more tolerant of warmth.

I'm still deciding on whether I should try some orchids in pure LECA or if the evaporative cooling would not be the best choice for some of the warmer growing species (phals)

I did however buy the true species the same day and will not repot until the spring as the pot it's in is very snug and seems to be growing well.

I'm going to wait it out and see what happens, but other ppl's opinions are reassuring for this little guy. :)

Just to add to the above couple of posts....the habitat of the plant is eastern Australia. With the nice warm Pacific Ocean to the east and the dry Australian Continent to the west. It rains a lot or not much at all. There are easier orchids to grow and bloom in the colder parts of the USA.
Here are some readings from a nearby AWS which equate to November, December, January, February in the Northern Hemisphere.
Sorry about the metric, its been that way since 1966.
Month Low temp Mean temps Month rain rainy days
May 6.6C 9.9C - 22.4C 7mm 6 days
June 4.0C 8.0C -18.9C 52.6mm 10 days
July 0.0C 5.0C -18.4C 13.6 mm 6 days
Aug 1.6C 7.0C - 17.5C 247.7mm 18 days

1 Inch = 25.4mm
The kingianums down the shade house are still going to bloom despite being drowned by the weather gods in August. But note the frugal amount of rain in some of the
other months. Maybe add some pebbles to the mix and always under-pot. Known locally as the pink rock orchid.
Hope this helps.

Actually,there are few easier Orchids to grow on the west coast USA. Mine hasnt flinched in the hardest freezes we have had - 28f- not a mark. Growing is easy..flowering is a bit tricky. You have to find the goldilocks of not too sunny,not too shady.