- Mother plant and child separate at the right time - this is how it works
- Planting and caring for children - How to do it right
The Dendrobium nobile is one of the most child-friendly orchid species. Clever orchid gardeners know how to use this fact for the uncomplicated propagation of a grape orchid. This guide explains how to properly trim and care for a cutting.
Dendrobium nobile forms Kindel
Mother plant and child separate at the right time - this is how it works
When small aerial roots and leaves sprout along a strong pseudobulb instead of a bud, patience is required at first. The longer a child stays connected to its mother plant, the stronger it starts into orchid life. How to recognize the right time and carry out the separation cut professionally, read here:
- Cut off a cutting with several aerial roots and at least 2 leaves
- Wait until the lower part of the bulb begins to turn yellow
- Cut off the childel 2 cm below the aerial roots
By cutting off the daughter plant along with a small piece of the bulb, the prospects for further growth improve. A disposable scalpel from the pharmacy has proven itself as a cutting tool for a precise incision. Here it can be largely ruled out that pathogens are on the blade.
Planting and caring for children - How to do it right
Pruned at the ideal time, the offspring of a Dendrobium nobile will have all the qualities of its mother plant. The care program after the separation cut primarily aims at rapid growth of further roots and leaves. How to do it:
- Kindel pot in finely crumbly pine bark soil or a mix of coconut fibers and expanded clay
- Spray substrate and offshoot with soft water
- Grow in a heated mini greenhouse (€7.95) or under a transparent hood
- Set up in a semi-shady location at temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius
Until a fresh shoot of new leaves and aerial roots develops, do not apply fertilizer. Instead, spray the young plant regularly and ventilate it daily. Once the daughter plant has fully rooted the growing pot, it is time to move to a transparent growing pot. From now on, care for the young grape orchid like an adult plant.
tips
If a child still does not flower two years after propagation, it usually lacks the winter temperature drop for flowering induction. Dendrobium orchids only put on their buds when the temperatures from October drop by 5 degrees Celsius compared to the previous room temperature.