Especially in winter, you can buy increasingly high numbers of Dendrobium. It is quite easy to grow them and even grow flowers if all factors for flowering are given. However the challange is that Dendrobium needs a strict rest period with less or no water at all as well as fall in temperatures. If you do not obeserve these factors, they grow layers instead of flowers.
Therefore it is very important to know “which” Dendrobium you have and the exact requirements concerning water and temperature. If you want to grow Dendrobium, please buy a good book for orchids or browse the www.
Most commercially traded Dendrobium are:
Dendrobium phalaenopsis hybrids
Dendrobuim nobile hybrids
Dendrobium kingianum (fragrant orchids)
It is well worth to grow a lot of natural kinds such as Dendrobium thyrsiflorum or Dendrobium nobile. When necessary, you can multiply them by seperation (vegetative breeding) when repotting because Dendrobium are sympodial plants (horizontal growing). Please ensure that you have at least 4 pseudobulbs per piece to guarantee quick growing.
About 1500 species of Dendrobium are existing and their habitat is the tropics but there are significant differences in altitudes (from Himalaya region to the low lands of the rain forrests). This is also the reason why they have special flowering requirements (temperature, water).