Dendrobium Nobile

[Melonballs76]

I have had this Dendrobium for a few months and it’s lost all of it flowers now. It has new shoots at the bottom of the plant. Are they new canes? There are 4 of them altogether. Thank you in advance.

[Roberta]

Those are new canes. Keep the plant well-watered. That chunky medium will dry out fast and the plant needs to be kept most during its growth phase. If you want to change to a more moisture-retentive medium (like smaller bark) now is the time to do it.

[Melonballs76]

Thank you so much for answering my question and giving me advice. I’m a bit scared to repot as not sure how to do it with shoots so small. I keep her well misted and she’s never thirsty. I love my orchids and check on them multiple times a day. Thank you again for your wisdom.

[Roberta]

Small shoots also indicate (especially for Dendrobiums) that new roots are starting. And "new roots" is what you want when you repot - the new roots will establish themselves quickly. If you just want to watch it carefully and make sure that it doesn't dry out, the medium looks like it is in good condition so you don't really have to repot. But if you do, gendly does it. You'd just take the plant out of the pot (it will probably come out easily, shake it a bit to get rid of loose medium, maybe hold it under running water to wash off any "crud", don't worry about medium that is stuck the roots - just leave it. Put back in pot, fill in with medium (tapping and shaking to distribute it around roots, press with your thumbs around the edges to pack it firmly). When repotting, the "packing" part is important, because it's vital that the plant be held firmly in place while the new roots develop - wobbling can damage those fragile growing root tips and cause them to stop growing.

[Melonballs76]

Wow, thank you so much for your detailed explanation. If it looks healthy and happy then I’ll just leave it be. I’m really clumsy and would hate to stress it out or do something wrong. When I got her, she was planted in some sort of soil and it was so wet and old it was breaking down. I had some of that bark as it’s for my phals and was worried it was too big for the mobile but she seems to be doing well. This is the first mobile I have had so I am learning as I go along. So much conflicting information on Google I get confused with what to do. Thank you again so much. I will post photos as she grows bigger.

[Roberta]

Ah, so it was recently repotted. Your Phals do like to dry out a bit more than Dendrobiums (in their growth time) So just keep that in mind. In winter, when the Dendrobium isn't growing much, going somewhat drier (but not bone dry, whatever you read...) is fine. (In winter, if you put it near a window where it gets bright light and a chill, that will help blooming)

The 'net is full of bad advice. Google doesn't evaluate the quality of the advice - it doesn't grow orchids. Here, you'll get the collective knowledge of a passionate bunch of orchid lovers, some who have been growing orchids for decades, all of whom love to share their knowledge. So don't be shy about asking questions. Especially look for the "whys" in the advice, which will help you evaluate what is actually best for you.

[Melonballs76]

You are so kind, thank you so much. You all seem to have so much knowledge and wisdom when it comes to orchids. It’s truly amazing that you take the time to share what you know, thank you so much. I repotted her about 2 months ago when I got her. She was blooming at the time and luckily that didn’t stress her too much and she kept her flowers for 8 weeks. I know it’s normally longer but I thought they’d drop off soon after so I was chuffed. She was also not stable so I had to put her in a bigger pot. That’s good to know about winter as I have read conflicting things to do in winter. I keep her close to the window. She has a lot of light. My phals are easier as I know when the roots go silver to water but the nobile hasn’t got green roots so it can be a bit daunting knowing how much water to give her in comparison to my phals and when. I try to go by how heavy she feels. That’s why I am so happy with her new canes. Thank you so much again.

[Roberta]

I think, keep on doing what you are doing!

---------- Post added at 12:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:24 PM ----------

A note on the confusing nature of advice about nobile-type Dens... This where the "why" part may shed some light on the subject.

In nature, this type of Dendrobium lives at moderate elevations in the Himalaya foothills, northern India and southeast Asia. In summer, it gets monsoon rains, so very wet. And that's when it's doing its active growth. In the winter, there is little or no rain. BUT the humidity is high, nights are cool so there is lots of dew. Hence, the plants don't dry out much. (Moisture even with no rain is much higher than what it would get in a dry home with heating! So don't over-do the "dry" part) With less cloud cover they get more light than in summer - so give as much as you can. Note the "cool nights" part - unlike your Phals which are tropical plants, these Dendrobiums want a good chill. So you can give it the cool, bright spot next to the window, move your Phals into the dimmer and warmer part of the house (where they may need supplemental light...)

In winter, you can eliminate fertilizer - orchids need fertilizer (dilute) when they are growing (making new tissue). So the Dendrobium will want it in summer, not in winter. (Phals, which are growing all the time, benefit from fertilizer all year around... again, very dilute)

[Melonballs76]

When feeding the nobile in the winter should I give it the growing feed and not blooming one? I have brought both feeds and a spray mist. Is this the same with the phals? This will be my first winter with all my orchids so I don’t want to kill any of them. I have 8 Phals, all are from an orchid grower and not supermarkets apart from my nobile she was from a garden centre. I am in awe of your knowledge. I bet you have some beautiful orchids. Can I ask how you know so much? When I travelled in Asia they were everywhere but mainly on tree trunks. The locals used to put them in netted like sacks and just attach them. It really was fascinating. The Monks used to have them everywhere around their temples. Some were so big and beautiful. I then read that they were hard to keep here in the uk so didn’t bother buying any. Then I saw one that took my breath away I can’t remember the exact name of it but it had a nickname of Niagra falls. Very expensive though so I thought I’d start trying to look after mini ones and if I could then one day I’d get this orchid. I am a long way off getting it as still trying to learn about phals and nobiles. I have found the nobile to be easier than the phals but it’s all about trial and error and learning. I think having them in the right light is key. I have 4 phals that still have the same flowers 2 months on and 2 that have lost them all and the buds and the other 2 that are doing ok but have lost some buds but not as dramatic. I can’t have them all on one windowsill due to not having the space, so they are spread throughout my house. I really can’t thank you enough for your time in helping me. I have taken screenshots of your advice to add to my orchid care file. I really am in awe of your expertise. Thank you for being so kind and sharing your fabulous knowledge.

[Roberta]

In winter, don't give the nobile-type Dendrobium any fertilizer at all. They don't need it or want it. (If you fertilize them, they likely will give keikis - baby plants - instead of flowers.)

The Phals can get fertilizer all year around )because they're growing all the time). You can really go down that rabbit hole... ask 6 orchid growers about fertilizer and you may get 8 opinions. The simple recommendation - take whatever it says on the bottle and give half of that level, once a week or even two weeks. Of the three numbers, the first - nitrogen is the most important. The plant uses it to build new tissue. "Bloom booster" isn't... it's just a formulation deficient in nitrogen. Waste of money.

Of all the cultural factors, fertilizer is the LEAST important. Think if it as "vitamins", not "food" - green plants make their own food by photosynthesis. If an orchid isn't fertilized enough, it may grow more slowly. If fertilized too much you may burn roots or leaf tips. So go toward "less" - "Once weekly, weakly" is the advice... or even less. The "why" orchids don't need very much fertilizer is because they grow slowly, that's just what they do. Again, think about what happens in nature. Phalaenopsis, for instance, grow on the trunks and branches of trees. They get rained on nearly daily, their roots exposed to the breeze, they get wet and then dry out when the rain stops. Lots and lots of air around the roots. Fertilizer? Whatever washes down from the forest canopy in the way of rotting organic matter, maybe with a bit of bird poo mixed in occasionally. Clearly, not much. That's the way they have evolved, to not need much in the way of nutrients, but with lots of air around the roots. Respect that ancestry, and they will thrive for you.