Dendrobium kingianum hails from eastern Australia, a country where everything is tough, just like this orchid. It is probably the hardiest orchid you’ll come across, and is very easy to grow. (These instructions apply to Den. speciosum and Den. delicatum as well.
This is NOT a fussy plant. You can grow it in a pot with almost any kind of media: moss, bark, or if you’re feeling very cheap, even gravel. (There’s a reason it’s also called the Rock Orchid because it grows on rocks!) You can also grow it mounted on a slab of bark or wood with moss around the roots, where it will make a wonderful, attractive display. You can even grow it in a bottle full of water! (No, I’m not kidding.) If your cane does not have roots, it means it was freshly harvested, and it will root in a few weeks if you put it in a cup with about ½-inch of water.
Water your plant once or twice per week, depending on your media. You can fertilize every other watering with any kind of plant food. In early November, STOP WATERING and put it outside (or expose it to cooler nighttime temperatures, but do not allow it to freeze!) It is this drying out and cold drop that stimulates blooming in the early spring. Once you see a new flower spike form, you can resume watering. If, psychologically, you have a hard time not watering (hey, I know it can go against your grain), at least strongly REDUCE your watering! Misting is a good compromise…
If you purchased the small canes from us, it will establish best in sphagnum moss. Once this kind of plant gets rolling, however, the type of media doesn’t matter so much. But they do like moss when they’re small.
Thank you! This is extremely helpful; it is both wonderful and anxiety-relieving to be able to obtain reliable information from an expert grower & seller.