Den. nobile hybrid, watering after growth's matured.

[Blueszz]

Or maybe the question should be: to water or not to water in October :-)

Cultured outdoors, 4 new growths this year, all matured. Temperatures currently go from 63F (17C) during the day to 45F (7C) during the night. I withheld fertilizer from the first week of September.

It's a Yamamoto hybrid, I've read their culture advises.

When I got it it was in full bloom, the canes all had their leafs. Past summer the canes that flowered last winter lost their leafs and shriveled a bit. I think this is normal.

I thought I should water less to induce flowering (with temperature drop during the nights), water only enough to prevent canes from shriveling. But, when I do that it looses some leafs on this years growths.
What should I do? Water more often? Withold water and accept the loss of leafs?

Am I confused with witholding water by the cold dry rest for for instance Den. kingianum?

Thanks, Nicole

[orchidsamore]

I raise hundreds of Yamamoto Dendrobium and have several times talked directly to Koch, the master grower at Yamamoto's about this.

Do not stop watering. I find that one good watering a week is about right.

Last year I did not have anywhere to keep them as I outgrew their greenhouse and they were grown with the Cattleya and got watered 2-3 times a weeks all winter. In spite of the excess water the plants did well and flowered on schedule.
This year the heavy rains (mine are all outside) are still soaking mine 2-3 times a week and will probably continue for the next 6-8 weeks.

Nitrogen is the problem and you should have stopped all nitrogen fertilizers about 2 months ago. Nitrogen will encourage keiki and result in less flowers or a plant that is growing twisted with keiki coming off the sides.

A really excellent grower treats his species Den nobile the same way, watering heavy once a week. That is his definition of growing dry.

His plants (he had two exactly the same) were about 5 foot and had about 5-800 flowers on each.

Water is not a real problem.

[Blueszz]

Thanks Jerry,
the way the plant responded to giving less water suggested it didn't like it. I'm glad I watered it today before I posted my questions and I'll keep watering it from now on. Luckily only 3 bottom leafs got a bit yellow but it might shed them. Other leafs still look great (to me).

I'm not sure about the fertilizer but I'm sure they didn't get any from September, but I stopped in August. Just can't remember the date exactly. Could be around 15th of August... Just before that or just after that date. I should have taken notes for next year.

I got my plant in December 2008 and it is a fun plant to grow. I hope I can report it blooms beautifully in a few months. As long as temperature allows it, it stays outdoors. If it gets too cold during the nights I'll put it in my (prepared) cold room or the fridge during the nights.

I like these plants, I wish they were better available here, the only ones I saw here last year were Spring Dream "Apollon". I would like to add a few colors to the collection of nobile hybrids!

Thanks for you time and effort,
Nicole

[Blueszz]

Hi Jerry,
wanted to let you know that my Yamamoto Den. produced zero keikie's. All of growths on the canes are buds. The first set of 3 is about to open next week. I won't get a lot of blooms but at least it blooms!

Will a longer cold period give more flowers or should I increase light? I notice they can take a lot of light without burning, even a South faced window behind the glass was no problem until the end of June. Outdoors I can't give it that much sun.

What temperature drop is necessary for these to induce blooming? I hear from people in Germany that they grow them year round in the windowsill with an open window during the nights. Maybe that is the trick for me to get more blooms.

Your advise on watering was great. My plant still looks very green with a lot of leafs!

Nicole