ORGANIZATION - HOW DO YOU DO WINTER REST?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Joyorchid

Thank you, Philipe for that suggestion. I inherited a den NOID and had no idea as to how to care for it. Am I correct that den harveyanum is a nobile type?

And here is the link to Marni Turkel's article:
Dendrobium harveyanum

No, it is not in the same section as Den nobile. Den nobile is in section Dendrobium.

Dendrobium harveyanum is in section Densiflora from what I understand.

---------- Post added at 07:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:25 AM ----------

I wouldn't bother watering anything in the genus Catasetum, Cycnoches, Mormodes, or Clowesia during their winter rest periods either.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Thanks so much, this will work, I will go for plastic tags just because even the fact I won't be watering those in need of inter rest, I will be still watering around and would be scared they will get soaked and peel off, however, I will need to mark those that need the winter rest, than those where I have to look for the first buds or growths also:-) Thanks so much Island girl, it is pretty crowded at the balcony, so I must have some kind of the organization for the winter time:-)))

---------- Post added at 11:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Ray

Also keep in mind that "winter rest" is not a matter of not watering, it is a matter of not providing any nitrogen.


Ray Barkalow
Sent using Tapatalk

Hi Ray
now I am little confused, because nearly every single page says for most of my Dendrobiums to STOP fertilizing around october, and than withheld water nearly completely from the end ov november till the buds/spikes arise, water ONLY when severe shrinking appears?????? This is what is really driving me nuts, I didn't do any proper winter rest before, and I did not have one bud on any dendrobium, I want to make it right, but some people say still water at least once a week, some say only mist from time to time, and most say no water only when shrinking appears?????? I really do need some clear explanation, I do understand this apply also to my one catasetum, meaning NO WATER till new growth appears?

---------- Post added at 12:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:04 AM ----------

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Sometimes.

There are orchids that don't even do well when they are watered during dormancy, even if they are not fertilized. These include some Dendrobiums.

Hi King
and many thanks for your intel. now, I need really to get to the bottom of this, 'cause it drives me crazy. I do assume you are familiar with Dendrobiums and which one NEED winter rest, what's more, which one SHOULD BE really kept dry (like no water at all except when severe shriveling of the canes appears)??? Please, HELP. I need to know what to do with my Dends during this winter here in Florida, I really really wanna make it right to make them finally and for the first time bloom. So far, I know I screw up last winter because my Dends have instead of blooms like crazy dozens of keikis on the old canes = bad winter rest, so blooms form into keikis:-( So this is my Dendrobium List, please whoever knows, help me with details what to do with each of them, group them into NO WATER AT ALL, maybe another group LITTLE WATER, and than water through out the year:
NOBILE HYBRID
AGGREGATUM
ANOSMUM
GOLDSCHMIDTIANUM
BRACTEOSUM
DOCKRILLIA
GATTON SUNRAY
UNICUM
HETEROCARPUM
PARISHII
JAQUELYN THOMAS
KINGIANUM

So, WHICH of these need proper total winter rest, water ONLY when I see they shrivel too much, which one should have LIMITED watering (less than summer, but still water during winter), which one should be watered as regular when needed??? I do know Dockrillia is all year watered and mine is doing great for years, also I did water Jaquelyn Thomas during the winter, it never looses leaves and it is blooming every year, but the rest is mystery to me???? Some of them are very small and mounted, like mine PARISHII OR UNICUM AND AGGREGATUM, the rest are nice big plants. MANY MANY THANKS to anyone who will finally explain and clear this to me:-) (and others I guess as well)

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by HighSeas

Hi everyone! Just wondering...which orchids do you provide a "winter rest" for?

I've always taken the "winter rest" as the time in which you don't fertilize and water a bit less in terms of keeping the plant a bit on the dry side.

I tend to apply that rule to those in my collection that have little to no active growth in the winter months. But while I was thinking about it, I realized that I have no hard rules for any particular species or hybrid. This is what prompts me to ask...Which ones in your collection have that winter rest? Thank you bunches!

Hi HighSeas, I know many of my Dendrobiums need winter rest, also my catasetum must be kept dry during winter till new growth appears, other that that, most of my collection is just lower water during winter or water as usual for some. But confusing is HOW do you do winter rest, as I asked in other post! So let's wait for someone to clear this, I hope:-))))

[CTB]

Those of you in Florida do not need to worry much about winter rest. We barely have a winter and growing just slows down. I just cut back on all fertilizing and watering from Dec, thru, Feb. We don't stay cold enough for long periods. What works in Florida doesn't work up North.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by CTB

Those of you in Florida do not need to worry much about winter rest. We barely have a winter and growing just slows down. I just cut back on all fertilizing and watering from Dec, thru, Feb. We don't stay cold enough for long periods. What works in Florida doesn't work up North.

That's what I have read also, however, what is proper winter rest than here in Florida? So far, after research and reading many blogs and pages and books, I am about to stop fertilizing sometimes between September-October, than I will also lower watering in fall, and like end of November I will stop watering for these in a need of winter rest, and water only when I see shriveling of the canes, till the buds start to appear. Is this correct for Florida?

[CTB]

I water all my orchids the same, some a little more or less but never do I stop watering. Usually we go to the Beach Christmas week, orchids are feeling the same heat. Up North so many places just close up the greenhouse and don't open again till Spring.

I have Dens, Catts, Bulbos, catasetums, phals, paphs, Epics, cadetas, cymbidums, Oncidiums, and Vandas none get a winter rest like they do in Penna. Most of our orchids have been raised in Florida, California, and Hawaii weather. Unless we get a heavy frost they enjoy the cooling down time. My catasetums don't even lose their leaves.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by CTB

I water all my orchids the same, some a little more or less but never do I stop watering. Usually we go to the Beach Christmas week, orchids are feeling the same heat. Up North so many places just close up the greenhouse and don't open again till Spring.

I have Dens, Catts, Bulbos, catasetums, phals, paphs, Epics, cadetas, cymbidums, Oncidiums, and Vandas none get a winter rest like they do in Penna. Most of our orchids have been raised in Florida, California, and Hawaii weather. Unless we get a heavy frost they enjoy the cooling down time. My catasetums don't even lose their leaves.

Thanks, very interesting, than I do not know what is my issue, I have most of my orchids from Florida sellers or Hawaii sellers. I did not do any winter rest ever before, and did whatever you are saying, meaning still water whenever needed during the winter time, and unfortunately, all my dendrobiums grew like crazy, to huge plants, however NONE of them ever bloomed, and there was many keikis on some of them, which after careful reading means they actually did not get proper winter rest, and instead of blooms they went to keikis. So, now I am really torn and confused, because this makes no sense to me. If I should not give winter rest here in Florida, than what went wrong for my Dendrobiums not to bloom at all and push only keikis????

[CTB]

On a Dendrobium, the keiki is typically found sprouting along the length of the cane or from the end of the cane. This is induced by the accumulation of growth hormones at that point, either naturally, or by the application of keiki paste.

I don't think your keikis has anything to do with flowering. I would think flowering is a light issue. Put the Dens together in the sunniest spot asd see what happens. A keiki will bloom at the same time as the mother and makes a beautiful plant, one day.. Ask in the Florida group what everyone else is doing. I have eight in bloom now. I even repotted and the buds didn't drop.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by CTB

On a Dendrobium, the keiki is typically found sprouting along the length of the cane or from the end of the cane. This is induced by the accumulation of growth hormones at that point, either naturally, or by the application of keiki paste.

I don't think your keikis has anything to do with flowering. I would think flowering is a light issue. Put the Dens together in the sunniest spot asd see what happens. A keiki will bloom at the same time as the mother and makes a beautiful plant, one day.. Ask in the Florida group what everyone else is doing. I have eight in bloom now. I even repotted and the buds didn't drop.

I am really not sure, I definitely do not use any keiki paste, I do not look for keikis really, but for blooming Dendrobiums, which I have so far no luck with This is the copy of one article online, and I hear this from other specialists as well, therefor I did assume I didn't do correct winter rest. I do not want to start new thread, I hope someone from Florida will join here and give me the advise:

There are several circumstances that can stimulate the production of keiki. A relatively common occurrence is the production of keiki instead of flowers. Normally canes will not produce keiki in their first year, before they have bloomed. If a mature cane produces keiki instead of flowers when its blooming season comes around, this means something has disrupted the sequence of metabolic processes that produce the hormonal changes that turn the resting vegetative buds into floral buds

[Bud]

my Dendrobium pirardii, biggibum, and anosmum lose all their leaves and that's when I start to withhold water and fertilizer until I see any signs of new growth or budding flowers....only morning dew and the surrounding humidity can sustain it= I just leave it alone in bright shaded light.
My Dendrobium Victoria-reginae and some of the phal-den hybrids don't need winter rest but I still lessen the fertilizer and watering in winter (instead of water every other day I water them once a week=fertilizer once a week becomes every other week....
but not as drastic as the plants that really need winter rest that gets no water or fertilizer at all unless I see any signs of buds or new growth....you need to be strong on this....unless you see the canes shrinking and about to die then give it a spray....
those plants that do not lose their leaves: I stop water and fertilizer on December 15th and force the rest on the plant....
you just have to do research on your plants and the culture sheet will tell you if they need rest or not; then put a label on the pot