What's the deal with my dormant Dendrobium?

[Roberta]

The dormancy on the nobile-type Den is not as severe as for the Clowesetum. I have found that Den nobile and relatives do need some water through the winter, just not as much (and no fertilizer at that time) I think that giving them a a chill (50 deg F or a bit lower at night) is the bigger factor in blooming. They tend to keep leaves, especially the newer ones. The Clowesetum (and other Catasetinae) on the other hand really do need NO water once they drop leaves, until the new spring growth is well on its way. But they also don't want to get cold. That one should stay above 65 deg F at night (Phal temperatures)

[CJ Green]

Originally Posted by Roberta

The Clowesetum (and other Catasetinae) on the other hand really do need NO water once they drop leaves, until the new spring growth is well on its way. But they also don't want to get cold. That one should stay above 65 deg F at night (Phal temperatures)

Wow, that means my Clowesetum definitely got colder than is optimal for it! I'll try to keep it warmer next winter. Thanks again for the advice.

---------- Post added at 05:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:38 PM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

Den nobile and hybrids don't necessarily drop leaves during dormancy. You might notice the ones sold in shops that are loaded with flowers usually have full sets of leaves on all the pseudobulbs. These plants have been watered so they keep their leaves, and chilled so they flower.

Yamamoto Dendrobiums has detailed growing information on their site. This includes summer fertilizer management and winter temperature recommendations, both of which they say are very important for flowering. They recommend light winter watering, and not resuming heavy watering until new growth appears at the base.

Thanks! I did water the Dendrobium a couple of times during the winter, because it just felt so weird not to water it at all. So I accidentally did the right thing. The Yamamoto information is great. I just couldn't figure out the timing since my plant was flowering when it was "supposed" to be going dormant.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by CJ Green

Wow, that means my Clowesetum definitely got colder than is optimal for it! I'll try to keep it warmer next winter. Thanks again for the advice.

This one can easily be kept in your "living area" during its winter dormancy - with no leaves, it doesn't take up much space. It just wants to be ignored. In his Catasetum talk, Fred Clarke tells the story of a customer in New York who thought that the bare, leafless bulb was dead and just tossed it behind the couch (Why? No idea...) The following spring she was doing some serious cleaning, moved the couch, found the bulb, and Wow, it was producing a new growth! Don't throw it behind the furniture when it is dormant, but you certainly don't have to put it with the other plants that need care...