# Dendrobium cuthbersonii Season!!



## DrLeslieEe (Jun 4, 2020)

They seem to know it’s Spring into Summer, and started budding like crazy in my Winerium (my new term for a converted wine fridge to grow cool minis, days 23C, nights 13C). 

I’m not complaining in the least as I know I have flowers till Fall. Maybe even Winter (unless I force a rest by cutting flowers out sooner). 

Enjoy the visual feast! I know I am .


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## monocotman (Jun 4, 2020)

Superb!


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jun 4, 2020)

Very nice. I'd love to see these guys in nature.


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## PeteM (Jun 5, 2020)

It's like a magical crocus wonderland!


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## Guldal (Jun 5, 2020)

Oh and ah! Leslie, you really are a true magician!


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## DrLeslieEe (Jun 6, 2020)

Thanks everyone. It's like a smorgasbord of color shows.

Apparently the locals collect so much of these from the wild (for ruthless traders) that they are not as commonly seen as before. An unfortunate thing is most die during transit under the hot lowland weather. Let's hope that the lack of sales from these earlier collections will stave off the marauding and allow the species to recover.


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## TrueNorth (Jun 6, 2020)

Looking good!


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## Ozpaph (Jun 7, 2020)

I dont know how you do it, but well done.


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## DrLeslieEe (Jun 7, 2020)

Thanks OzPaph.

My only goal in life at one point was to successfully grow these cute cuths!

It wasn't an easy journey. I have killed my fair share of cuths since 12 years ago (almost a couple dozen I am sure). I tried growing them in all settings and environments (under lights, in bowls, by cool windows, etc), but they all eventually perished a slow and agonizing death in my care. I was devastated each time.

I finally saw a converted wine fridge at our orchid meeting one day 2 years ago by Ravenvision owner (thanks JayN), and was inspired to follow suit. With the help of a good friend Kevin, we assembled my 'Winerium' with the specs of a cool moist mountane environment (T =13-23C, 80-90% RH, pure RO water), where my current cuth collection thrive and happily bloom. 

I have found my Zen!


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## monocotman (Jun 7, 2020)

Fantastic, I would love to see some more details of your winarium,
David


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## Guldal (Jun 7, 2020)

monocotman said:


> Fantastic, I would love to see some more details of your winarium,
> David



Hear, hear! And maybe some technical advice for the fumbling ones to whom I unluckily in all matters practical have to count myself!


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## BrucherT (Jun 7, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> They seem to know it’s Spring into Summer, and started budding like crazy in my Winerium (my new term for a converted wine fridge to grow cool minis, days 23C, nights 13C).
> 
> I’m not complaining in the least as I know I have flowers till Fall. Maybe even Winter (unless I force a rest by cutting flowers out sooner).
> 
> ...


You have a gift with these. Wow. They are all cuthbertsonii?


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## DrLeslieEe (Jun 9, 2020)

BrucherT said:


> You have a gift with these. Wow. They are all cuthbertsonii?


Thanks all for wonderful comments. 

All but the bicolor orange on right side are cuths. That bicolor is Swiss Montain Palace from Popow. 

The winerium uses a reptile hygrometer to control the temperature, LED for lights and a water proof mini 12 cm fan, on timers. All wiring are pushed through the little hole at the back. Tank is sprayed once or twice with RO water a day. When I have time I’ll do a setup section.


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## Bob in Albany N.Y. (Jun 14, 2020)

I recently got my first couple of cuthbersoniis. Am trying them on cork mounts at the moment. So how long do you think I can keep them alive?


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## DrLeslieEe (Jun 15, 2020)

Bob in Albany N.Y. said:


> I recently got my first couple of cuthbersoniis. Am trying them on cork mounts at the moment. So how long do you think I can keep them alive?


They can grow on anything actually, as long as you provide them their requirements. When I was at Golden Gate Orchids, in 2017, they were grown on cork and did well, garnering many awards for Tom Perlite.


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## DrLeslieEe (Jun 15, 2020)

Just took more pics. Few more flowers opened.

Plus a seed pod is growing on the solid orange one (crossed with the bicolor pink). Hope it produces seed as many cuths on the market are 3N due to crosses of polyploid 4N’s with diploid 2N’s (normal wild genome).

My favourite one is the orange one with the pink glow in pic 4.


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## TrueNorth (Jun 16, 2020)

I've never had a cuthbertsonii pod that didn't produce viable seed. If you have a pod you should be good to go. It will split after 8 or 9 months, but you can sow it green pod after 7 months.


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## DrLeslieEe (Jun 17, 2020)

That’s good to know that pod likely viable. Almost nine months! Almost human!


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## DrLeslieEe (Oct 16, 2020)

Another flush of blooms for fall season:


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## monocotman (Oct 16, 2020)

Wow wow!


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## Guldal (Oct 16, 2020)

Oh, ah, pant, pant!


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## BrucherT (Oct 17, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> They seem to know it’s Spring into Summer, and started budding like crazy in my Winerium (my new term for a converted wine fridge to grow cool minis, days 23C, nights 13C).
> 
> I’m not complaining in the least as I know I have flowers till Fall. Maybe even Winter (unless I force a rest by cutting flowers out sooner).
> 
> ...


Absolutely incredible. Every time.


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## tnyr5 (Oct 25, 2020)

I need a winerium lol.


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## TrueNorth (Oct 25, 2020)

I like the red one in the latest batch of photos. What's the clonal name/parentage?


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## BrucherT (Oct 26, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Thanks all for wonderful comments.
> 
> All but the bicolor orange on right side are cuths. That bicolor is Swiss Montain Palace from Popow.
> 
> The winerium uses a reptile hygrometer to control the temperature, LED for lights and a water proof mini 12 cm fan, on timers. All wiring are pushed through the little hole at the back. Tank is sprayed once or twice with RO water a day. When I have time I’ll do a setup section.



Following. Seems like this would be helpful for Phragmipedium besseae too, and my quest to winter goeringii successfully. I see wine fridges in my alley at least one a month.


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## GuRu (Oct 26, 2020)

Leslie, what a fireworks of colours your cuthbersoniis are. Great!! I'm wondering, are there any orchids you don't grow succsessfully?


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## SouthPark (Oct 26, 2020)

That's very nice! I like the variation of colours. The leaves look very interesting too.


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## DrLeslieEe (Oct 26, 2020)

TrueNorth said:


> I like the red one in the latest batch of photos. What's the clonal name/parentage?


I replied in PM.


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## DrLeslieEe (Oct 26, 2020)

BrucherT said:


> Following. Seems like this would be helpful for Phragmipedium besseae too, and my quest to winter goeringii successfully. I see wine fridges in my alley at least one a month.


If they work, you might be able to fix and revamp them to each specific genera. Like one tank for goeringiis and one for besseae.


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## DrLeslieEe (Oct 27, 2020)

GuRu said:


> Leslie, what a fireworks of colours your cuthbersoniis are. Great!! I'm wondering, are there any orchids you don't grow succsessfully?


Thanks Guru for your nice comments.

Unfortunately there are many orchids that perished under my care. Even when other plants next to them are thriving.

One particularly species I’ve been trying a lot with is the Dendrobium falconeri. It has not been successful so far as I think it needs a cold dry greenhouse. In fact I love all the lantern style Dendrobiums but they do not like my current conditions. It’s a future project.


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## GuRu (Oct 27, 2020)

Leslie, Dendrobiums are a wide playground and a lot of them like exteme conditions because the are monsoon bound in the nature also your lantern style ones and D. falconeri. I have a mate in our local orchid group who is Dendobrium enthusiast and shows regularly his beauties but many of them look like (sorry for the term) 'withered shrubs' with nice flowers, due to their origin from monsoon affectected areas. So your future project will become a great challenge far away from other growing conditions i.e. Paphs. Good luck!


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## DrLeslieEe (Oct 27, 2020)

GuRu said:


> Leslie, Dendrobiums are a wide playground and a lot of them like exteme conditions because the are monsun bound in the nature also your lantern style ones and D. falconeri. I have a mate in our local orchid group who is Dendobrium enthusiast and shows regularly his beauties but many of them look like (sorry for the term) 'withered shrubs' with nice flowers, due to theire origin from monsun affectected areas. So you future project will become a great challenge far away from other growing conditions i.e. Paphs. Good luck!


Thanks for the educational advice. The withered look is due to the dryness they have to endure in the cold to set blooms. They plump up after flowering in the spring grow season. That is their nature lol.

And I do need all the luck to grow and bloom these in the future!


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## Tom-DE (Nov 5, 2020)

nice collection.


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## John M (Nov 16, 2020)

Wow! I loooooooooove these!


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