On 2014-01-23 14:51:59 +0000, Bob Hobden said:

"Sacha" wrote

Now that my £10 Dendrobium from Morrison's has lost most of its flowers
and has only a few left at the very top, what is the care routine? It
now has two shoots appearing at the base of a stem.


A touch more tricky than Phals....
Temperature Max 20°C (68°F) min 13°C (46°F)
Needs a cool rest down to about 8°C during the winter to initiate
flowering (yours must already have had this as it's flowered and new
growth is showing).
Watch the slugs and snails with the young growth!!!
Likes an airy humid position but not draughts and not near a radiator
or similar, with bright but filtered light at all times.
Water from the top freely whilst the plant is in growth during
spring/summer, allow any excess to drain away. Do not water during the
cool rest.
Fertilise 3 out of 4 waterings with a good orchid feed (flush through
with clean water on the fourth).
Repot when it needs it, say every three years, using a medium grade
bark mix (very open orchid compost).

Where it is right now will probably do until I want to lower the temp
to induce flowering. It's the half landing on the turn of the stairs
on a non-curtained window's sill, facing east. There's no draught and
no radiator but plenty of air circulation. I'll follow the watering
regime you suggest, as it's already flowered and then cool it down
somewhere next autumn/winter. Many thanks for this, Bob.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk