We (DCOS & NJOS) have just had Ron McHatton as a speaker on Dendrobiums. For nobile types:
a. Stop fertilizing mid September through end of March.
b. Cut back on water from mid Oct till buds are well formed (about ready to open). During this period:
b.1 Place plants in a cool & bright location.
b.2 Water abt 1/3 to 1/2 of what you do during growing season (= less frequently, not small doses).
Trick: nobile types can grow very tall, up to 24-36" (60-90 cm). If you do not want them that tall, pluck out the center leaf on the new growth (any time after 18" = 45 cm). That limits the height of the bulb, but does not affect the later blooming.
If your plant sets keikis instead of buds, you are fertilizing it too late and giving it too much water.
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Kim (Fair Orchids)
Founder of SPCOP (Society to Prevention of Cruelty to Orchid People), with the goal of barring the taxonomists from tinkering with established genera!
I am neither a 'lumper' nor a 'splitter', but I refuse to re-write millions of labels.
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