how long should a dendrobium's blooms last?

[cattlover]

I just got this beautiful den from HD the other day with 3 spikes! it's a pink striped bloom variety. about 10 flowers per spkie. really cool!

anywho, i hope i'm not killing it. there are still about 12 unopened buds!

should i keep it in bright light? i have it on my desk and there is an east facing window about 8-10 ft away. also there are 2 south facing windows. it gets adequate light, and there is a lamp above.

tia

monica

[OrchidTraci]

I'm guessing for about a month or maybe longer if the conditions are right. You can get away with less light for about 3 weeks so make the blooms last longer without ill effect on the plant. I move my blooming plants out of the high intensity light for that reason alone. On my encyclia, it has made a world of difference in the length of time the blooms are freash looking. I hope you post a picture, I love dens.

[Gilda]

My dends always last at least 4 months ..sometimes longer ! That's the beauty of them and phals....

[OrchidTraci]

My dends always last at least 4 months ..sometimes longer ! That's the beauty of them and phals....

4 months?? Wow, I have always bought them in bloom, so I was guestimating on my previuos experince. Your plants must really love you, 4 months! My goodness. I'm hoping when my den burana finally shows me what its flowers look like, they will stick around that long!

[cattlover]

I'm guessing for about a month or maybe longer if the conditions are right. You can get away with less light for about 3 weeks so make the blooms last longer without ill effect on the plant. I move my blooming plants out of the high intensity light for that reason alone. On my encyclia, it has made a world of difference in the length of time the blooms are freash looking. I hope you post a picture, I love dens.

thanks for the insight. i wish i had a digi cam. to take a picture! i'm probably the only person (besides my parents) on the planet who doesn't have one... well, i have one but it's a really cheesy, cheap one.

[OrchidTraci]

thanks for the insight. i wish i had a digi cam. to take a picture! i'm probably the only person (besides my parents) on the planet who doesn't have one... well, i have one but it's a really cheesy, cheap one.

Gilda apparently has SUPER nice dens who love her enough to stick around for a loooonnng time. I've only bought my plants in bloom and they've stayed in bloom for a shorter amount of time. Of course, I brought my one mothers home in the dead of winter, I'm was lucky I had any blooms when they got home lol!

[dosal]

Mine last as long as Gilda's, but yours may not on their first blooming in your house. I find that Dens. are very touchy when moved from one growing area to another. They often blast their buds. The flowers that are open should be no problem. On the other hand your conditions may be the same as those from HD.

[OrchidTraci]

Mine last as long as Gilda's, but yours may not on their first blooming in your house. I find that Dens. are very touchy when moved from one growing area to another. They often blast their buds. The flowers that are open should be no problem. On the other hand your conditions may be the same as those from HD.

Maybe that is what the problem is. I buy them and they are growing in less than ideal places, stagnet air, no/ too much water. Then I bring them home , where there are fans on, controlled humidity, freash food and water. I think they don't know what to do lol.

[Gilda]

I had one that would blast if you looked at it cross-eyed ! It resides with someone else now.
Not moving them around is probably the secret....because mine pretty much stay in the same place...
Doris, do you find it helps to wait till they bloom out totally or move them when the buds are tiny ?

[orchidaddict789]

Mine bloom one month at the most...

4 months??? Wow ! Even my phals don't last that long!