First Den Nobile's - Looking for advice.

[Stevie_White]

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to give some feedback. I'll admit that I'm nervous that I'll mess these guys up.

I picked up these two plants from my local grocery store. It's a new shipment (I was there a day or two ago and these plants weren't), and it's the first time I've seen Dendrobiums in my area (NE Idaho, USA). I couldn't pick between the two colors, so I got one of each! IF you happen to know the plants have a real name, and what it is, please let me know but it's not a big deal.

The Pink One: 1 big cane full of flowers and buds still to open. There is a stump from an older cane that got cut off but no idea why (there were several with whacked off canes in the display). There is a keiki starting on the stump of the old cane, and 2 new growths coming on the large blooming one; they are currently about 3in/8cm.

My Splayed hand is next to the white plant for scale - tip of thumb to pinky is 15cm/6in.

The White One: Nice pale green on the lip with a hint of pink at the very back of the throat. 3 mature canes all currently in bloom with the last of the buds opening now. There are 5 total new growths coming on the previous 2 canes that are staggered in their growth. The largest one is about 5in/13cm. These growths are all burried pretty far into the media. I've dug them out as best I can with my finger but can't quite see the base of them all.

My question: When should I look to repot these? Since I can't see the base of the new growths, I won't be able to see new roots very well if at all. Should I wait until the flowers are done? Should I wait until the growths are a bit bigger?

My environment: I grow in the home, and the home is kept around 70F/21C through the day.

Thanks again for the advice, and have a great day!

[Roberta]

Definitely wait until blooming is done to consider repotting. Then wait for new growth starting at the base of the plants, that will be the ideal repotting time because it will be making new roots at that time too. During the growing season (spring and summer) keep them on the damp side (not soggy... your new potting medium will give them good drainage). Late fall and winter reduce the water (but not bone dry). At that time you also can put them close to a window to get a bit of chill as well as brighter light - those factors also help with blooming. Starting in early fall, stop all fertilizer. But even during the growing season these are "light feeders" - one of the reasons for getting keikis instead of flowers is too much nitrogen.

[estación seca]

Yamamoto Dendrobiums: Caring

Yamamoto Dendrobiums: Hints

Your challenge may be cooling them enough in winter.

[Stevie_White]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Definitely wait until blooming is done to consider repotting. Then wait for new growth starting at the base of the plants, that will be the ideal repotting time because it will be making new roots at that time too.

Thanks for the advice! They already have new growths coming on (see pictures). So should I still wait for the flowers to go, or repot them now before the new roots get going too much?

[Roberta]

I would wait for the flowers to finish, to enjoy them. They don't last all that long, a couple of weeks maybe. (Not like a Phalaenopsis that doesn't mind being repotted in bloom but is likely to be in bloom for months)

[bil]

Den nobiles are pretty but a pain in the whatsists. After a long period of failing to get them to bloom, I have finally worked out what they need in the winter, and it is nothing short of abuse. I had some on a mount, and I was so PO with them that I hung them in the shade house and left them to die.
Come spring they were a mass of flowers.
It was a moss mount which really dries fast, and I never watered them at all they were bone dry for the whole winter, and bear in mind while rain here is torrential. it is very dry, with all too few rainy days.
As for temp, they went down to zero several times, altho no lower than that, as I am pretty sure frosts will kill them.
So, for me it's a case of never mind talk of reducing watering, it's give them NOTHING, no ferts no water bone dry for most of the winter and as cold as I dare.

PS, as for repotting, while you ideally should wait for a new cane starting, you can repot at any time as long as you drop pot and DO NOT disturb the roots in any way.

[estación seca]

The original poster will be growing them indoors in a frigid winter climate. Yamamoto Dendrobiums makes it clear the winter temperature drop is what is needed to induce flowering, and not water restriction. Yamamoto recommends watering through the winter, not leaving them dry.

My experience and that of others here is that if you keep them dry all winter you will kill them. All the leaves drop after a certain period of drying, then the stems shrivel, then the plant dies long before flowering season.

If you look at plants bought in flower, they have leaves on all their stems, including those more than one year old. This means the plants were never kept dry in winter by the commercial grower.

I read many claims that withholding water can substitute for cool temperatures. I believe this is completely incorrect; it will likely kill the plant. If you want to see them flower, follow the instructions from the people who bred these plants.

[bil]

Originally Posted by estación seca

The original poster will be growing them indoors in a frigid winter climate. Yamamoto Dendrobiums makes it clear the winter temperature drop is what is needed to induce flowering, and not water restriction. Yamamoto recommends watering through the winter, not leaving them dry.

My experience and that of others here is that if you keep them dry all winter you will kill them. All the leaves drop after a certain period of drying, then the stems shrivel, then the plant dies long before flowering season.

If you look at plants bought in flower, they have leaves on all their stems, including those more than one year old. This means the plants were never kept dry in winter by the commercial grower.

I read many claims that withholding water can substitute for cool temperatures. I believe this is completely incorrect; it will likely kill the plant. If you want to see them flower, follow the instructions from the people who bred these plants.

Mine do shrivel a bit. The winter rains, poor tho they are probably help, but they do go absolutely bone dry for long periods. They aren't the only ones that seem to like it. I have 4 on the punishment mount this year and so far two are starting to bloom.

[Stevie_White]

Originally Posted by estación seca

The original poster will be growing them indoors in a frigid winter climate. Yamamoto Dendrobiums makes it clear the winter temperature drop is what is needed to induce flowering, and not water restriction.

Question on the cooler temps. I kept my Phals in the basement this last winter to keep them cooler. It gets down to 13-18C (55-65F) down there at night during the winter since we don't heat it. I had some seedling mats and lights that I turned on during the day. Anyways, several of my Phals shot out flower spikes within a couple of weeks of going down there.

So given my basement conditions, do you think I'll get enough of a drop to get them to flower?

[estación seca]

I don't know. Yamamoto says they flower best with 55 degree nights.