Just bought a new dendrobium-repotting question

[emg53]

Yesterday I stopped by my local orchid nursery to buy a dendrobium nobile. I really think they are beautiful orchids. Unfortunately they are not in bloom right now so I bought one that should bloom in a few months. It is a fairly large plant, an oriental smile 'fantasy', with canes up to 24 inches. Since it is an older plant it is quite root bound. The roots go around the inside of the pot and are packed tight. Should I try to loosen them up a bit or just leave them all wound up? I think there is bark mix in the middle but I don't think I can remove it without hurting the roots. I tried to post pictures but I got some security message that won't allow me.

[Vanda lover]

These orchids don't mind being a little pot bound, and it is the wrong time of the year to repot it. If it has had the proper chilling and you are keeping it on a cool, bright window sill and withholding fertilizer , it could bloom in the spring. Afterwards would be a better time to repot.

[emg53]

I read it's blooming requirements so my husband just put up a shelve outside on the south side of our house. I hope it will get cold enough for it. The temp got to 80 today but it is suppose to only get to low 70's next week. Night time temps will be low 60's to high 50's. Do you think full sun most of the day is too much. We could put up a shade cloth. We will need to put up a shade cloth next summer anyway for my Cattleyas as I don't think they got enough sun this past summer on our porch.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Full sun is too much for someone growing in Florida.

The orchid will fry to a crisp during your summers in full sun.

[emg53]

I would never put an orchid in full sun in the summer. However it is now December and the Den. nobile needs a lot of light to bloom so I wanted to know if I could leave it in the sun most of the day.

[Vanda lover]

At this time of year in most places the light is less intense, but We need someone who grows in Florida to say. Here, by the end of August onwards I can put them in full sun.

[JDT]

I have put mine in an area that gets direct morning sun until just before noon, then for the rest of the day it gets filter sun because of a mango tree in the area where this Nobile orchid is at the moment. I start cutting back on fertilizer in September then from Halloween until after it blooms no more fertilizer and I only water every two weeks with very little water. Do not repot until spring.

[emg53]

I think I will try to put up some shade cloth so it doesn't get full sun in the middle of the day and see how it does. Since I just bought it I don't know if it has been fertilized. I have read how important it is to not fertilize after August.

[Ginger9899]

Just giving my experience since I am in Florida - Fort Myers which is SW Florida. I have one Den Nobile and this is my first winter for it so this is just what I am experiencing so far. It is a Yamamoto Nobile. I stopped fertilizing completely and watering much at all in early October, and moved it to the southern side of my house in pretty much full sun all day. Nights are mostly in the 60's F with a few here and there in the 50's and even a couple 45 F nights. Last week I notice 2 new pseudobulbs growing (strange, I thought) and this week I see flower buds popping up. At least I hope they are buds and not keikis. I started watering it a little more now. It still has most of its leaves but some have yellowed and dropped. My point is that mine is in pretty much full southern sun and was moved there from western afternoon sun only all summer and it has shown no adverse reaction that I can tell. Hope this helps.

[emg53]

Originally Posted by Ginger9899

Just giving my experience since I am in Florida - Fort Myers which is SW Florida. I have one Den Nobile and this is my first winter for it so this is just what I am experiencing so far. It is a Yamamoto Nobile. I stopped fertilizing completely and watering much at all in early October, and moved it to the southern side of my house in pretty much full sun all day. Nights are mostly in the 60's F with a few here and there in the 50's and even a couple 45 F nights. Last week I notice 2 new pseudobulbs growing (strange, I thought) and this week I see flower buds popping up. At least I hope they are buds and not keikis. I started watering it a little more now. It still has most of its leaves but some have yellowed and dropped. My point is that mine is in pretty much full southern sun and was moved there from western afternoon sun only all summer and it has shown no adverse reaction that I can tell. Hope this helps.

Thanks for that great information. I put mine outside today and placed a doubled over piece of screen in font of it so it won't get full sun from 11 to 2. The doubled over screen will shade it just a little. I also have two new canes just starting to come up. My older canes have lost all their leaves and there are a couple of nubs at a few of the leaf joints. The two newer canes, one about 24 inches, still have their top leaves so I don't know if they will bloom or not.