Janet,
You might ask the nursery where you bought the plant if they can track the name. Otherwise it is a matter of finding the type of Den to get cultivation tips.

Have a look at the picture in the Den. Blue Thunder thread. That is a warm growing hard cane Dendrobium.

Arthurm, thanks for your reply. At the tine of purchase they were unable to identify if. I am going back to the nursery today and will see if they can do some tracking. They were extremely busy at time of purchase so maybe today will be fruitful. I prefer not to wait possibly months to fine out. In this area I don't know how long the wait is for a spike to grow and bloom as this is my first Den. Hopefully I can get an answer from someone !!!!
Thanks again ! Janet

If the spike is coming from the tip of the cane, chances are the den does not experience monsoons, and therefore it likes intermediate temps, likes to dry out slightly between waterings, needs to be fertilized all year long (but less in the winter due to less light) and likes lots of sun.

If the spikes are up and down the cane, then the den is the nobile type, subject to monsoons, and needs a whole different culture.

This should help you until you can get more information on your new den. Congrats!

Thanks for your reply Orchid126 ! I am sure your info. will be quite helpful. I was able to obtain the name of the supplier which is Puna in Hawaii and their email address. Have emailed them and, hopefully, will get an identification soon. There were 2 other Dens. in the nursery today and their tags had names handwritten on them. Go figure ?????
Any way, will let you and Arthurm know as soon as I find out ! Thanks from Cajun Country ! Janet

UPDATE !! I spoke to the supplier/grower in Hawaii. Was told it was a compactum x den cheudchai and a clone from Thailand that they got back in 2005. So, I still have no idea what the flower or color will be until it, hopefully, will bloom next summer/fall ! With this additional info, can anyone tell me more about this Den ?? Thanks for any help you can give !!!! Regards, Janet

As previous posters have said, this is a warm growing hard cane (the no monsoon one that ocrhid126 was talking about). I love those little compact ones (I'm assuming yours is no taller than 6 inches?)! They can take quite a bit of sun. Mine were in nearly 5-6 hours of full sun during the summer and made pretty nice fat canes although no flowering yet, so fingers are still crossed! Keep them warm (no lower than 55F), water by soaking the pot in room temperature water, and as orchid126 said, let them dry slightly between waterings (some ways of telling, which also depends on the media it's in - pot is significantly lighter than when watered, skewer stuck in pot comes out pretty dry, top of media is relatively 'crispy' if you're growing in sphag)

Good luck! These are great orchids!

btw I did a google search and I think it's Den. Cherd Chai Red

Janet, had a look at the RHS Database of Orchid Names and cannot find Cheudchai or anything that looks like that. As for the famous "Compactum" nil hybrids now appear the the RHS Database with that as a parent, so i always wonder if there was a mix up with Den. bigibbum var. compactum.

But do not worry too much about the names, just give your plant warm growing "Phal" type Dendrobium culture and be happy when it flowers.

Den. compactum is an orchid from South East Asia that may or may not be one of the parents. Just enter Den. compactum into google and select images and have a look at what comes up.

Thanks so much to all of you for responding ! It has been in the nursery getting repotted into a ceramic pot with many holes all around it. I should have paid more attention as to it's height ! I am thinking it is about 6 inches tall and will be potted in some form of bark medium.
It will grow (hopefully) along with my 2 Phals. This is going to sound sort of crazy but my way of testing for water needs is to push a q-tip into one of the lower holes!
I wait until no longer damp before water/fert. I grow in 12" deep windowsill and on a rack just in front of a window on the south side. They do not get hit by direct sun. Does the Den. really need to get direct sun. Here in SW Louisiana, USA the sun would do some burning. Temp. during day in home is approx. 76 degrees and somewhat lower at night. Humidity is usually about 65 to 75 degrees. Ya'll have been a great help and I certainly appreciate all of it. Whenever it gets blooms I surely will take pictures to show you ! Patience ! Patience ! Patience ! Any other info will be welcomed ! Janet

I keep my Dendrobium bigibbum var compactum (it's probably an ancestor of your plant) in 50% noon-day shade in summer (never full sun between 11-3pm), and winter in S/SE windowsill, in Boston. They have been flowering since early September and several new spikes are still coming out. I let them become really dry between watering. I've read their native environment is arid and drought-prone ... probably the Aussie members of this forum can verify? My favorite plants due to low maintenance ... so far. alvin

Thanks Alvin ! Your advice will be helpful ! Glad to hear yours are still growing and growing. I doubt that that will happen with mine. The 2 spikes on mine appear to be well dead and maybe 12" long. It possibly had been forced to bloom to begin with. When blooming, is it like a spray with flowers all along the spike like a Phal.? I am a true novice and my terminology may be pretty bad ! Janet

Hi Janet: Yes the Dendrobium phalaenopsis/bigibbum-type flowers are arranged on a spike like a regular moth-type Phalaenopsis. Dendrobium flowers generally do not last as long. Just make sure your Dendrobium gets much more light than a Phalaenopsis. Acclimate it slowly into direct sunlight ... who knows how they were treated @ the store, nursery. They should thrive in direct morning/evening sun but I would not push it into direct sun in the summer between 11-3pm. Dendrobiums like to dry between watering. I don't think one can grow Den and Phal side-by-side ideally, due to their different light requirements. Good luck! alvin

Gee, thanks again Alvin ! I am so pleased with the responses I have received on this forum site ! It's been great !
My 4 African Violets and 2 Phals live on my 12" deep kitchen windowsill. Just beyond the windowsill is my garden window which is also 12" deep. THe sun does not hit any on the sill but would in the garden window. Soooo, that will be a good place for the Den. In the summer it would probably turn to toast by late morning. Most of the time our winters are quite mild and we rarely go down to freezing. We have a very large and lovely patio (16ft x 24ft) under the house roof and a great place for growing plants. Problem is, I lost umpteem plants during Katrina (because we were not able to return to our home for about 2 1/2 weeks and the plants were put inside and had no light what so ever) Anyway, in the spring my orchids may enjoy some nice fresh air and we should be able to have our fence back up. Then, I can start replensih my patio with plants. Sorry, I shouldn't have run my mouth off !!!!
Thanks again, Alvin ! Oh, earlier I said I was in SW Louisiana. We are in SE La. burb of New Orleans !

Hi Janet: I forgot to conclude with a warning that the culture conditions I noted work in my situation. It could be different for you in LA. I strongly recommend, within limits of reason/practicality, to experiment yourself with the light, placement, watering - for a bit say 2-3 months - and see how the plants respond. Very very general rule of thumb is watch watering (dry on the top does not mean dry inside the pot, there are tons of chats on this Forum about this if you search), and bright indirect light (and direct morning sunlight) is generally good so the plant can photosynthesize/make food. You should be able to judge from the growth of leaves and roots how well they do. Hopefully you'll eventually find the ideal set of conditions for your situation. Just keep in mind that no plant (esp no orchid) likes to be subjected to sudden/extreme changes in environment.

Now, I hope you are not putting your Dendrobium (hard-cane/bigibbum type) or Phalaenopsis outside in winter in LA. Granted I don't know how low temperatures get in LA. In their native environment (roughly tropical southeast Asia), both genera experience minimal night temperature above 60F (55F would be pushing it). Minimal does not mean ideal. Ideal would be between 70-85F during the day. Hard to believe, but orchids are not delicate at all. They can take quite a bit of abuse/unsuitable conditions. It's prolonged unsuitable conditions that eventually do them in in my experience. Good luck, alvin

Mine flower for months. They go in full sun all summer - no shade at all. Grow them dry and give very little fertilizer when they are making new growths in Spring. After flowering, cut the spikes and leave them alone until you start to see growth. They are super easy if you don't overwater/fertilize.

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Jane

Jane: Beautiful dendrobiums! Congratulations!
Question: Are they fine in direct noon-day sun in mid-summer where you are? (Your zone isn't too different from mine - so I may try that this coming summer.) I've not had the guts to expose mine thus. I have Den. bigibbum compactum (under 1' tall). Mine's been flowering since early Sept and just put out another set of spikes when they came indoors S/SE windowsill late October. TIA, alvin

Hi again ! No, no I will not be puttina any orchids outside in summer or winter. My African Violets are beautiful on that windowsill I spoke of and the two phals. are there with them and growing and looking very healthy.
At 8:30 AM it was 76 degrees on windowsill and 80 in garden window with sun shinning into it and 67 humidity in the house. I feel I should leave well enough alone for them. Am I understanding that the Den. could stand being in the sunlight into the garden window ? That should work in the winter but I'm not sure about the summer. Will have to check that out when the time comes as the sun will probably be stronger. As you said Alvin, you kinda have to play around to see where they are happy ! When I said I could put them on the patio for fresh air, I really meant just for a few hours in the shade but bright light. Would not leave them out there. So, better keep them where they are. I SURE WILL BE GLAD WHEN THE TIME COMES TO SEE SOMETHING BLOOM !

JANE: Your den is absolutely beautiful !!!!

I think I mentioned earlier that my way of telling if they need water is to push a q-tip into one on the bottom side holes of the ceramic pots they are in. These pots have holes up and down and all around. Don't know if I am making sense ? That way I will not water if the q-tip comes out damp from the bottom of the pot.
Thanks so much to both of you for your replies ! You have given me much good info ! Janet

Your watering tip is fine. Problem with these dens is they need the highest light you can get them while they are growing. This happens once a year. If they don't get enough you loose that years flowers.You will not get flowers growing this plant with Phals. They grow in hot, dry conditions. The plant in the photo was taken last winter. This plant spent the summer in full sun this year 'no shade' and I have 6 long spikes of flowers now. I'll show yo

They are not Phals or African Violets. They need heat and sun.

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Hi Jane ! Thanks again. One thing is for sure, I can give them plenty sun and heat. Maybe too much ! I see you live in zone 5-6. I am in zone 9. So. E. Louisiana and in the summer it is plenty hot -- sometimes in the upper 90"s. Think that would burn them ? I would like to keep it indoors so I can keep an eye on it. Now that it has finished blooming (dead spike) is that the time for the sun and heat and little water ? It is still in the nursery getting potted. The delay in getting it back is due to the person who pots them has been out due to family illness. Oh ! I just checked the temp. on the top shelf on garden window and it read 92 degrees with the sun shinning there ! It is 80 degrees outside. It's kind of hard to figure when the sun will hit and where with seasonal changes. I have never payed much attention to that before now. Maybe top shelf would be a good place for the Den.? Janet

92F isn't too much above the average upper temperature of Dendrobium phalaenopsis/bigibbum's native environment scroll down to Den phalaenopsis and bigibbum sections. These Baker notes are truly excellent. alvin

Don't pay attention to the temps. These plants like it hot and dry. They grow outside in full sun in Fla. totally neglected (my neice and nephew). You should have potted it yourself - good practice!

Putting it in a window at 92 degrees is not good because there is no air movement. Unless you have fans blowing on the plant you will get burn. Don't worry about the heat. Please don't fuss over this plant. That's the fastest way to kill it.

These plants flower once a year. The time to get the sun and heat going, is when you see new growth coming up from the media. That is when you put it outside, water and fertilize very lightly (I do) until the new growth matures. At that point you should start to see spikes beginning (if you gave it enough sun). If you see nothing, you've lost the year.

If it just finished blooming, you don't have to worry about this until next Spring. Water very little over winter. Let it rest and get it out in the Spring.

Jane

Thanks Alvin and Jane for sticking with me ! With all this info, I should be able to keep it alive ! Will be very happy when the day comes that it blooms so that I will know for sure what it really is !

Jane, I plan to watch this young man who is an expert with potting orchids to learn the right wayl. Don't want to kill it before I at least know what it is !!!

Alvin, I have been scrolling for what you indicated above but no luck yet. Will keep looking. As far as "Baker notes" goes, is that a person who does posting ??
Again, Thanks ! Janet

Hi Janet:
Baker s' notes on D. nobile, phalaenopsis & bgibbum has 3 contiguous sections in the order indicated. In each section is a climate table. You would be looking at D. phalaenopsis and/or D. bigibbum sections. Good luck! alvin

Hi Alvin ! I think I found the Baker sight you were talking (?) about. (Charles and Margaret Baker) I did some printing but, would you believe, some of the pages are too light to read. New printer and I wouldn't think I was low on ink already ! At least I will know where to find it now. Problem is (another one !) I don't know what species I have. The two Phals. you might say are noids cause the first was a gift and I don't remember seeing a tag. The other Phal. I adopted from my Dr.'s office cause they had not taken care of it one bit ---never had given it water and the leaves were hanging like a dog's ears. It is kinda hanging on with much care. Then there is the Den. which this forum is about and hopefully will find out what it is when it blooms ! Then, on Tuesday I guess I did a foolish thing. In HD I purchased two oncidiums..I guess because they were blooming (mostly buds). They are nice but not my favorite orchid. Why do we do such things?
One is Grower Ramsey "Dancing Doll" and the other is Everglades Elegance-"Nancy Lee". At least I know what 2 out of the 5 orchids are ! Also bought the Ortho's All About Orchids book. Very interesting and most informative as far as I can tell. I'll have to read Jane's message again concerning heat with the Den. It dawned on me today that I can open the side windows in my garden window to allow a little circulation. We live within 1 block of Lake Pontchartain which is 20 something miles wide so I am pretty sure we get a little breeze eventhough the GW is on the so. side and the lake on the no. side. I guess I will be doing some experimenting in the future. Thanks again, Janet (If any of you wish to email me, please feel free to do you.)