Moving Dens Outside: Cool/dry nights

[Clawhammer]

Hello friends! I need advice on how to handle dendrobiums that require a cool/dry winter to properly bloom.

I grow in my basement, Intermediate to Warm. (62-86 degrees F depending on time of the year).

I live in Portland Oregon, here are my temps:

[IMG]Portland Temps by Eric, on Flickr[/IMG]

My plan based on this is to take them out in late May and bring them in late in September (forecast driven).

I have two questions:

1. Most of these require a dry period but when I bring these inside in September they will be going into my warmer basement. Knowing this, when should I apply the dry period.

2. These are the orchids I believe need a dry period and temps <55 degrees in order to maximize bloom. Please confirm and suggest any others not covered here in case I'm missing some.

* Aussie Dens (Kinganum, Speciosum, and Hybrids)
* Nobiles
* Anosmum/parishi

Thanks!

[estación seca]

The dry period myth is incorrect and harmful. I suspect it came from two angles: People who couldn't provide cool temperatures hoped it would force dormancy, and people who looked at habitat rainfall records and reported no rain all winter. But there can be soaking dew in the southeast Asian highlands.

They need cool temperatures at night plus bright light to flower, not a dry rest. Leave them out all winter, but bring them in when it's below 40 F / 5C just to be safe. Water lightly once a week.

I put all the section Dendrobium (nobile types) and section Dendrocoryne (speciosum, kingianum) Dens outside in winter. We get less rain and frost than you do. I leave them out in the rain here. I might or might not in the Northwest depending on how wet is the winter. I have a Den. xsuffusum just opening buds now.

[Clawhammer]

Originally Posted by estación seca

The dry period myth is incorrect and harmful. I suspect it came from two angles: People who couldn't provide cool temperatures hoped it would force dormancy, and people who looked at habitat rainfall records and reported no rain all winter. But there can be soaking dew in the southeast Asian highlands.

They need cool temperatures at night plus bright light to flower, not a dry rest. Leave them out all winter, but bring them in when it's below 40 F / 5C just to be safe. Water lightly once a week.

I put all the section Dendrobium (nobile types) and section Dendrocoryne (speciosum, kingianum) Dens outside in winter. We get less rain and frost than you do. I leave them out in the rain here. I might or might not in the Northwest depending on how wet is the winter. I have a Den. xsuffusum just opening buds now.

Thanks ES. That is great news about the dry period! Dry (or Sunny) and winter do not go hand in hand in Portland. I hesitate to leave them outside from Nov-Feb as it rains almost everyday and sun is sparse to non-existant. Does that change your advice?

Last summer I saw you mention the cold temp requirement for nobiles and I put my nobile outside in June and brought it in the first week of October. Here is the picture for reference..

[IMG]Untitled by Eric, on Flickr[/IMG]

[estación seca]

I lived in Seattle for a year. If I lived there and I could, I would probably put up an open-side structure with a polycarbonate roof to keep the rain off the plants. Or an unheated cool house.

The Den nobile you show is flowering better than most, because it had bright days and cool nights. If you didn't read the link I posted a few days ago to a Den question from Dr. Dave, you might find it interesting.

[Jeff214]

Originally Posted by Clawhammer

[IMG]Untitled by Eric, on Flickr[/IMG]

a tad off topic, but nice blooms! do you have the name for that one?

I have a couple of nobile type dens (growing inside and outside) and they all seem perfectly happy to bloom being watered / fertilized all year long. As ES mentioned, I've found the cool temps and sufficient light were the factors that influenced blooming for me.

Mine was fully budded but a heatwave/sun blasted half or so of them!

[Clawhammer]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

a tad off topic, but nice blooms! do you have the name for that one?

I have a couple of nobile type dens (growing inside and outside) and they all seem perfectly happy to bloom being watered / fertilized all year long. As ES mentioned, I've found the cool temps and sufficient light were the factors that influenced blooming for me.

Mine was fully budded but a heatwave/sun blasted half or so of them!

Hi Jeff. Unfortunately this is a NOID I picked up at a grocery store

---------- Post added at 12:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:05 PM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

I lived in Seattle for a year. If I lived there and I could, I would probably put up an open-side structure with a polycarbonate roof to keep the rain off the plants. Or an unheated cool house.

The Den nobile you show is flowering better than most, because it had bright days and cool nights. If you didn't read the link I posted a few days ago to a Den question from Dr. Dave, you might find it interesting.

Plotting a permanent move outside with the added motivation of freeing up space in the basement greenhouse

[Orchidtinkerer]

Claw that is an epic nobile. I'm sure you will have things covered.
I also do not provide a dry period for all the dens you have listed.
Just make sure not to overwater them - that's all. They will slow down in winter and not drink as much so adjust accordingly to stop the pots staying waterlogged, don't do it the other way round.
I find a reduction in light hours to be highly beneficial to let mine know it's winter time.
so 8-11 hours light in winter time with reduced temps and reduced watering (without keeping them bone dry)
Once light hours increase again the Dens tend to "wake up" and either start flowering or produce new shoots.