Which orchids in YOUR collection get a winter rest?

[dragom]

What about the catts what do you guys do with them. I had my first one that I ever got from Hawaii bloom in Dec or Jan.

[cloudswinger]

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

All of mine to a lesser or bigger degree, get a rest from the water/fertilizer intake than what they receive in the warmer months.

Dends that were getting watered every 5 or so days in summer, get watered every 10-14 days in winter - no fertilizer. Same with Phals, from every 5-7 days in summer to about 8-10 days in winter and so on for the rest except Toulminias

See, now I know you live somewhere pretty close to me, and I was watering my dens daily over the summer and I had crazy amounts of growth. I got 3 new bulbs on a Den. chrysotoxum, without much fertilizer. I've since turned off the sprinkler/mister but it's still raining daily. My plan is to make sure the the Dens get water once a week in Nov/Dec and then once every couple of weeks in Jan/Feb. And there are some dens that do not want to dry out for more than a day or two during dry season, so I need to separate those out.

[cloudswinger]

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

All of mine to a lesser or bigger degree, get a rest from the water/fertilizer intake than what they receive in the warmer months.

Dends that were getting watered every 5 or so days in summer, get watered every 10-14 days in winter - no fertilizer. Same with Phals, from every 5-7 days in summer to about 8-10 days in winter and so on for the rest except Toulminias

See, now I know you live somewhere pretty close to me, and I was watering my dens daily over the summer and I had crazy amounts of growth. I got 3 new bulbs on a Den. chrysotoxum, without much fertilizer. I've since turned off the sprinkler/mister but it's still raining daily. My plan is to make sure the the Dens get water once a week in Nov/Dec and then once every couple of weeks in Jan/Feb. And there are some dens that do not want to dry out for more than a day or two during dry season, so I need to separate those out.

[Sandy4453]

Cloudswinger, I responded to you in a new thread. Didn't want to steer my response off the subject of this thread.

[blackorchid]

I just bought a Dendrobium anosmum and it looks like it still growing happily and doesn't really want to stop. It keeps putting out new leaves and the newest cane is approximately half the older canes' length, therefore, it's not fully mature. Should I stop the watering starting next month?

[Phantasm]

There are people that grow many of these plants the same year round and bloom them with little problem. Den. anosum is a good example.....They do need some moisture since they aren't cactus, and even cactus need some.....

[cloudswinger]

My Dendrobium book says that for Den anosmum, most of its habitat is seasonal with a distinct dry season in winter, but that in some areas it's wet all year long. So obviously it is adaptable. Flowering is mainly in the dry season, although can occur at any time in New Guinea. (So I'm going to assume that New Guinea is wet all year long.) The plants mus be given a dry rest during the colder weather if they are to flower well. (So that begs the question, what is flower well? Do you want a big display once a year, or flowers all through the year, which is what I think may be the options here? )

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

There are people that grow many of these plants the same year round and bloom them with little problem. Den. anosum is a good example.....They do need some moisture since they aren't cactus, and even cactus need some.....

This has not been my experience. I thinks this points to not taking one cultural regime and applying it accross the board I was watering a little when I first got my anosmum and it never bloomed - it grew but didn't bloom. Now I withhold all (as in notta) water and fertilizer from October 31 till flower buds show, usually in February to March. The canes shrivel, but the flowers speak for themselves



The plants normally stay in a south window under whatever light winter brings, supplemented by CF T5 bulbs, even when leafless. Not one speck of water hits the plants until buds are very well developed. Humidity ranges from 30-40% so they are a bit like a cactus (my cacti thrive under the same regimen )

[cb977]

This is a prime example of "Do what works for you"

Some of us withhold all water, others don't...experiment a little

I personally withhold almost all water and all fertilizers...but I do give the whole rack a light misting every two weeks. This is what works for me. Ross withholds ALL water...and that works for him. There are no absolute rules here folks

Try just a big reduction of water, if you don't like what the plant shows you under those conditions, start giving it what it wants.

Our plants tell us what they need and want all the time...we just have to learn how to understand the language

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[blackorchid]

witholding water even though it's still pushing new leaves? What's gonna happen to the youngest cane which isn't fully mature. Is it like resetting the clock of the plant so that it will stop growing at this time of year next year? I'm asking this wondering about those that are suppose to rest and they are not resting.