How to Take Care of an Indian Blue Purple Dendrobium Orchid

Dendrobium is the second-largest orchid genus, with more than 1,000 species of the flowering plants. This botanical group is native to many areas in the eastern hemisphere, including India. Dendobrium orchids are epiphytes. In the wild, they climb the trunks of trees for physical support without becoming parasitic. The Indian Blue Purple orchid is a Dendrobium hybrid that grows 2 to 3 feet tall and produces flowers 2 ½ inches in diameter. The blooms are dark purple with black-blue tinges. Care for it the way you would care for another domesticated Dendrobium orchid.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• Humidifier, as needed
• Orchid fertilizer
• Hand shears

1. Grow the Indian Blue Purple orchid in bright but indirect sunlight. Place it by a north-facing window, for instance. Rotate the plant from a south window in spring to an eastern window in the summer as another alternative.
2. Place Dendrobium orchids in a room that stays at 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the day and at 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit overnight. Keep a humidifier running in the room if you have to turn the furnace or air conditioner on to control the temperature.
3. Irrigate your plant when the soil becomes dry. Pour water until excess runs out of the pot’s drainage holes. Apply an orchid fertilizer at every watering while the plant is putting out shoots and blooms. Reduce fertilization to every third watering when the orchid stops growing. Apply the fertilizer according to the instructions for the product you select.
4. Cut faded flowers and yellowing leaves off the plant with hand shears.