Dendrobium: past, present and future
The name Dendrobium comes from two Latin words: dendros (tree) and bios (life). It is a reference to the way plants grow in Thailand, on the trunks of trees. Dendrobium was first described in 1799. The Thai people give particular properties to the Dendrobium plant: it is even used for religious purposes.
Breakthrough in 1967
The cultivation of Dendrobium only came into motion in the last century. The breakthrough came in 1967 when it became possible to multiply Dendrobium in the laboratory. Varieties were developed from that discovery that did well as pot plants. The sale of Dendrobiums expanded rapidly in the eighties of the last century. Consumers in Europe and America discovered the beauty of orchids en masse; that of the Dendrobium in particular.
Cultivation in Netherlands
The cultivation of Dendrobium in the Netherlands dates back to the mid-eighties. Then there were three cultivators in the Netherlands, one of whom was Hans Fransen - father of Rico Fransen who, together with Jos Scheffers, stood behind Sa-nook. The father of Jos Scheffers belonged to the pioneers of cultivators. French and Scheffers both quickly involved their plant material from the same breeder in Thailand, Suphachadiwong Orchids.
More than 100 000 Dendrobium plants per week
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, the cultivation of Phalaenopsis was quickly set up. Cultivators, attracted by the high sales of orchids, also opted for the Dendrobium. With varying success: the Dendrobium is much more difficult to cultivate than the Phalaenopsis. The crop is very sensitive to bud-falling; a very small percentage of blossoming or excessive length. From the three cultivators in the early years, there were suddenly thirteen cultivators. They produced together sometimes more than 100 000 plants per week. Not only on the cultivation side was there a lack of knowledge and skills, the market also did not distinguish properly between good and bad quality. In combination with the excessive of supply, the price of Dendrobium began to drop. Now there are a few cultivators and the tide has turned.
A special enhanced series
Sa-nook® varieties have been specially selected and developed by Suphachadiwong Orchids from Thailand. These varieties are specifically enhanced regarding growth strength and flowering capability in the living room and can be cultivated well in Europe. The varieties are all extensively tested on these properties. Sa-nook varieties are only produced by one supplier who is also the enhancer: there is no ambiguity about the origin of the plant material and the properties of the varieties. There is an open communication throughout the process between the enhancer and the cultivators. And the quality can only but benefit from this.
Availability
Dendrobium is mostly traded in 11 cm pots. When there are more plants in a pot, designed to obtain more tufts, 17 or even 19 cm pots are even used. The colours in the spectrum are mainly white, pink, purple, green, yellow and cream. Most varieties are available year-round. You will find more information about our range at: Dendrobium assortment.
Plenty of future prospects
The continuity and the supply of Dendrobiums are assured with Sa-nook. Thus, this striking orchid has excellent references in the orchid assortment. In particular, with the distinctive shape of the flower and the excellent shelf life, it is a product with added value. Tradesmen can even use this sustainability as a key selling point. Cultivars are now already exclusively grown that have the minimum shelf life of 6-8 weeks. Flowering experiments by FloraHolland indicate that the Sa-nook Dendrobiums bloom even longer than 8 weeks. Some species bloom even twelve weeks or longer! Developments are furthermore expected in flower size and flower colour. In the popular segment of flowering pot plants, the Dendrobium is popular all over again.
