Question
I have a dendrobium phalaenopsis and am wondering how to care for it. It is in full flower now and the watering and feeding is a bit of an issue as I can't find too much info in my orchid book. I live in a humid area. Thanking you in advance for your help. Thelma

Answer
Thelma, a dendrobium phalaenopis is a warm growing dendrobium.  It can grow outside this summer in a semishaded environment and will like the breezes and humidity. It doesn't like temperatures below 50 degrees.  When it is done flowering, reduce your watering to once every other week as the plant should be going into a rest period.  When it is growing I recommend feeding it once per week (1/4 tsp of plant food per gallon of water). At that time you may want to consider repotting it in fresh orchid potting mix. For more information, you might check the American Orchid Society (AOS) website for culture information on a number of different orchids, including dendrobiums.