winter rest when does it start?

[kindrag23]

Okay see if i have it correct:
Continue fertilize water
Cym/Oncid-leave outside til 1st frost then bring in and keep cool? like in 50-60's room.
Phal/Paph/Catt/Schomburgkia/Vanda 50-60's room no rest

Gramm keep warm in kitchen- no rest

50-65 temp range also

Leave alone
Den/Dove/Magic- leave alone after november 15th range until new roots/keiki/spike show

[Bud]

I am glad you are preparing for winter.

Because a lot of your flowers in spring will depend on your proper rest....

Vandas and Gramms need constant warmth and bright light....lots of water and weekly fertilizer.

only the Cymbidium plants needs near frost conditions....leave your Oncidiums alone, some may need rest but not near frost conditions....

*in the daytime it can be in the 80's or 90's but it needs to go down to cooler temps at night....that is what I mean by letting them taste cooler temps....the plants must experience a drop of temperature at night then carry on in the day

the dove and the paph can have lesser water but not like the Den and the Magic that needs no water at all unless the canes shrivel you may spray it a bit

[kindrag23]

Okay well I know I wont be able to get it that warm, but I am setting up a orchid room with a humidifier and hanging shower curtains, they will get bright light, those that need it, because my nana's back room basically consists of a 12 by 18 ft sliding door/all glass partial tent windows. So hopefully I will be able to get it warmer than it would have been without. The house as a whole is well insulated and my hibiscus do well back there every year when I moved them up each year.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by Bud

two weeks before frost comes, start the winter rest
or if you see the leaves falling off the plant....then wait for new buds or new keikis to come out then that is the time to continue water and fertilizer....

Vandas, Gamms and equatorial orchids do not need rest....they need continuous water and fertilizer because they are from an area where they have only two seasons = monsoon rains and summer=these plants never experienced winter....

but your dove orchid comes from Panama where there is no winter yet it needs rest because there is a time in its weather cycle where there is (draught)no water except morning dew and then the river floods and they are immersed in water.

Bud
when would you recommend to start winter rest here in Florida? I have many dendrobiums that must get winter rest, also witchcraft, and some other orchids in winter rest need. There is no frost though here, so I was planing to stop fertilizing for most of my dendros sometimes in september, limit water in fall and than stop watering sometimes in the end of november /or when all leaves falls???

[Bud]

You must be very excited with all your plants getting ready for winter. Please post pictures of your blooms....I am sure awaiting your spring flowers....

---------- Post added at 11:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------

Originally Posted by TOMMYMIAMI

Bud
when would you recommend to start winter rest here in Florida? I have many dendrobiums that must get winter rest, also witchcraft, and some other orchids in winter rest need. There is no frost though here, so I was planing to stop fertilizing for most of my dendros sometimes in september, limit water in fall and than stop watering sometimes in the end of november /or when all leaves falls???

Tom,

Trust your instincts on this....
Look at your plants for signs.
You are right, if the leaves fall off its time to give winter rest.
Some of the members here induce or force winter rest. For your zone: I suggest 15th of December you must induce any plant that needs rest. Even if they still have full leaves.
Then continue up til Valentines day then give water and fertilizer....most of the members from your zone do this time frame technique.

* Catasetinae and your Millenium Magic after it flowers will ususally drop its leaves....start the rest and do not water it....restrain yourself no matter what for it is a proper winter rest needed for it to bloom beautifully. If it doesn't drop leaves then start rest on 15th of December and by Valentines you will get a new plant coming out ....
some winter rest may need just lesser water....some are really drastic with no water at all....you need to find this out by reading and finding out more about your orchid plants

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by Bud

You must be very excited with all your plants getting ready for winter. Please post pictures of your blooms....I am sure awaiting your spring flowers....

---------- Post added at 11:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------



Tom,

Trust your instincts on this....
Look at your plants for signs.
You are right, if the leaves fall off its time to give winter rest.
Some of the members here induce or force winter rest. For your zone: I suggest 15th of December you must induce any plant that needs rest. Even if they still have full leaves.
Then continue up til Valentines day then give water and fertilizer....most of the members from your zone do this time frame technique.

* Catasetinae and your Millenium Magic after it flowers will ususally drop its leaves....start the rest and do not water it....restrain yourself no matter what for it is a proper winter rest needed for it to bloom beautifully. If it doesn't drop leaves then start rest on 15th of December and by Valentines you will get a new plant coming out ....
some winter rest may need just lesser water....some are really drastic with no water at all....you need to find this out by reading and finding out more about your orchid plants

Thanks Bud
that's exactly what I have planned. I know all the details about catasetum, I even wrote care sheet for Kindrag:-) Regarding the dendros, exactly as you said, because we are in worm zone, some might not loose leaves, so for those that will loose leaves I will stop when they do, for all the rest it will be latest at the mid of December. I have also habenaria medusae that is just in spike now, so that baby needs special care as well, and I did already prepare double sided sheet where I wrote into the columns which ones from my collection need full winter rest, which ones are semi decidious and need only some winter rest, which ones should be only limited on the water and fertilizer and which ones are all year round ones. I have over 100 orchids now so I had to organize myself, I do not have luxury of space where I could move and organize them by who needs what so for me it will be CHART and different colored plastic tags that I have, so I will differentiate them by the COLOR! I am pretty excited, scared little but excited, this will be my first ever year of doing PROPER winter rest and hoping finally my babies will bloom for the first time next spring!

[Bud]

I have read from a couple of members that they don't give winter rest but continue watering and fertilizer regimen for some of their Dendrobiums. They are in a zone like yours where there is no frost and it is conducive to outdoors growing. Their Dendrobiums flower beautifully....
I feel that if your orchid need not suffer why let it?

Some growers induce flowering by almost burning the leaves under direct sun....well its kinda cruel but they do it anyways just for magnificent blooms....

so...these are some of the stuff I read here....its up to us to follow it or ignore it completely.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by Bud

I have read from a couple of members that they don't give winter rest but continue watering and fertilizer regimen for some of their Dendrobiums. They are in a zone like yours where there is no frost and it is conducive to outdoors growing. Their Dendrobiums flower beautifully....
I feel that if your orchid need not suffer why let it?

Some growers induce flowering by almost burning the leaves under direct sun....well its kinda cruel but they do it anyways just for magnificent blooms....

so...these are some of the stuff I read here....its up to us to follow it or ignore it completely.

I know, I heard, however I did not do any winter rest for 2 years and I did not get any blooms, so screw it, I will go for proper winter rest this year and will see. Plus, even it is very easy to burn the leaves here in Florida even in the winter time, I would hate to do that to my plants! also I asked some of my sellers of the dendros, especially the nobile one, and she told me, stop fertilizing at the end of august is MUST (dendros don't like for blooming too much of something stored from fertilizing), and than winter rest as you wrote! This is how she does grow them here in Florida and that's what I will try this winter1

[Bud]

she is right....fertilizer is not provided in drought conditions in situ....it is when there is rains that the fertilizer in the form of animal secretions and debris is dissolved and provided to the plants....

I follow orchid culture as provided to me by experienced orchid growers who have developed their techniques through the years. Since it was handed down to me through the kindness of their hearts and for free....then it is also my duty to inform others of what I know no matter how obsolete or repetitive it may sound.... I have a very malleable outlook in life= I instigate change and new ideas

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by Bud

she is right....fertilizer is not provided in drought conditions in situ....it is when there is rains that the fertilizer in the form of animal secretions and debris is dissolved and provided to the plants....

I follow orchid culture as provided to me by experienced orchid growers who have developed their techniques through the years. Since it was handed down to me through the kindness of their hearts and for free....then it is also my duty to inform others of what I know no matter how obsolete or repetitive it may sound.... I have a very malleable outlook in life= I instigate change and new ideas

I know Bud, and you are always here and so so helpful. So for all of us here, thank you so much for it. As they say, knowledge is everything. And you know and read a LOT! I love that Dendrobium book you recommended, reading it every day now!