To water now or not to water dendrobium

[pjoeverett]

That is my question with D. delicatum x J. Christie. The plant was outside all summer and brought in the fall. I did water it but at times it was extremely dry when brought inside. Noticed about a month ago new spikes at the leaf axil. Some of the shoots have several and others have none. Do I water to help the new spikes or not water to wait on new buds to form? I may have asked this question before but I don't see any notes on my list except withhold water in winter and that it needs low temps at night.

[rbarata]

Based on your notes, your Den needs a winter rest. Keep watering to a minimum until new growths start to appear. Then, it's time to water again.

[bil]

Winter rest usually means NO FERTILSER, not no water.

[Roberta]

I water Den. speciosum, Den kingianum, Den Delicatum, and all the rest of those temperate Aussie Dendrobiums all winter. I water less than in the summer because things don't dry out as fast when it is cold.. But my experience with these is that they really don't need any special seasonal treatment. If spikes starting to develop, they're growing... and want some water. Remember, in nature even when it doesn't rain they get dew. In the house or greenhouse that doesn't happen, so they need some water.

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by bil

Winter rest usually means NO FERTILSER, not no water.

Yes, keep water at a minimum. My Den nobile is watered once every two weeks when the medium is dry all the way to the bottom.

[Roberta]

I do cut back more on watering the nobile-type Dens, I give them a bit once a week or so, less if it is cool and humid. Den lindleyi (aggreagatum) seems to need somewhat harsher drying to bloom. But from my experience, the temperate-zone Aussie Dens don't particularly care. I leave them where they get watered with everything else, and they bloom their little heads off in the spring.

[estación seca]

If you read Aussie orchid sites, it's the cool, sunny weather, and not drying out, that stimulate these to flower. People grow them outside in southern California, where some winters they are kept drenched with cold rain. They flower every year. D. xdelicatum is a natural hybrid.