Dendrobium farmeri

Base Price: $0.00

Intro:
Dendrobium farmeri is native to Thailand and the surrounding areas of Cambodia and Laos They produce grapelike clusters of 20-40 flowers. The flowers are 2” across and colored in white and pink to purple. This plant is easy to grow and flowers reliably every spring.
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Light:
Medium light is preferred, similar to that of Cattleyas, 2000-3500 footcandles measured at peak noon hours. If Cattleya light cannot be produced, this plant will tolerate somewhat lower light levels, but more flowers on longer spikes are produced at higher light levels. They will grow and bloom well at three to 4 feet from High pressure sodium fixtures with a 430 watt bulb.
P.L. Lights systems are a great way to provide artificial light to your orchids. See our P.L. Lights page for more information on this great product we offer.

Temperature:
Intermediate. This plant requires winter night temperatures of 58-62 degrees Fahrenheit and winter days of 68-75 degrees. Summers can be warmer as this is the growing season.

Humidity:
50% or higher is ideal. The use of humidity trays or room humidifiers is beneficial.
We offer two products that can help increase humidity levels. The humidity tray offered in black or white, and the Mist Maker. Please click on the underlined text for more information on these products.

Water:
It is best to use rainwater, distilled or reverse osmosis water. Municipal water with a pH of 7.5 or lower can also be used. Water as the mix approaches dryness but do not allow the mix to become completely dry between watering. The only exception is in winter when the plants need a somewhat drier period. At this time of year watering should be done every 10 days to 2 weeks. A slight shriveling of the growths is acceptable but if the plants start looking dehydrated water more frequently. When in bud keep more evenly moist at the roots.
Overwatering can cause several problems such as root rot and infectious bacteria/fungus in the potting medium. One product we offer that can help these problems if caught at an early stage is Phyton 27 bactericide and fungicide.

Fertilizer:
We highly recommend using Green Jungle Orchid Food, especially formulated to work with rain, distilled, reverse osmosis water or water low in alkalinity. Fertilize with Green Jungle every time you water if plants are planted in bark. Be sure to flush the mix with clear water only once per month to prevent fertilizer salt build up. For plants in moss or mounted on slabs feed every third or 4th watering as the moss holds a lot of nutrients.

Or use GrowMore 20-10-20 Ureafree for municipal or well water. Use at the rate of ½ teaspoon per gallon. If using GrowMore with rain, distilled, or reverse osmosis water, add back in 5 - 10% municipal or well water to supply the necessary calcium and magnesium. Fertilize every other watering in the summer and every third watering in the winter.

Another fertilizer offered is: GrowMore 6-30-30 (Cymbidium and bloom boosting formula).

Flowering:
This plant will begin flowering from the top of canes between leaf axils or at old leaf axil joints. Even the old canes which have lost all of their leaves can re-flower, so do not be tempted to remove these leafless canes. The flowers will come out rather swiftly after you see the buds emerge so it is important to keep the plant well watered at this time. Typically these flowers are not the longest lasting, generally lasting 2-3 weeks. Fortunately, this plant does tend to produce spikes over a more extended period, giving up to 6 weeks of blooms from the different spikes. The flowers are 2” across and are white with pink to purple edged suffusions. The lip has a golden, almost terrycloth-like look, and somewhat hairy. They are fragrant.

Repotting:
Repot in the spring after flowering, when new growths have emerged. Place the oldest growths towards the back of the pot so there is room for the new growths to grow forward. Repot in medium grade bark mix. The mix will break down approximately every two years. Keep dry for the first 10 days after repotting, giving the damaged roots time to seal up and heal before you start watering.
We offer several different types of potting medium. Here are direct links to what we believe to be some of the best potting mediums available for orchids: Orchids Limited bark mix, New Zealand sphagnum moss, coco husk, coco peat, sponge rock,charcoal, tree fern fiber, osmunda fiber and cork slabs for epiphytic plants.