Dendrobium overwintering in the north

[yeoshua88]

For context: I am an indoor only orchid grower who lives in Philadelphia. I have successfully grown phalaenopsis, oncidium, and psychopsis orchids (I am working on paphiopedilum also but with mixed results right now).

I recently bought a Dendrobium Loving Memory Fizz and I was wondering how indoor growers deal with overwintering this orchid variety. It sounds like it will require a more intense temperature drop then I can provide indoors or then I have needed with my other orchids to get them to flower. My current thought process is that I will need to leave it outside for a month in the fall to get it to flower. Everything I see online says to leave them outside in November and take it in before the first frost. However, in my area the first frost happens typically in early November so I am mainly asking if anyone on this forum who grows dendrobiums in northern latitudes can tell me when they take these orchids outside to force overwintering/if their is another option I have not thought of/ if I am dramatically overthinking this.

Thank you in advance for any feed back you can give and sorry for the longer post

[Roberta]

I think that this might be Den. Love Memory 'Fizz' . It is a nobile-type hybrid.
Don't get too hung up on the details... A chill in the fall is helpful to inspire blooming. Just bring it in whenever night temperatures get down to about 40 deg F or so, it can safely handle that. Then, find the coolest spot in the house - near a window may be sufficient. It also will benefit from the bright iight that a window provides, No fertilzer, reduce watering. But don't keep it totally dry... you will hear "no water from Halloween to Valentine's Day". When I first got into orchids I heard that, tried to apply it and killed several. Too dry! I learned the hard way, now you don't have to.

So... chill in the fall, don't overdo it. No fetilizer from late summer, until you see new growth in the spring. As cool as you can manage indoors, bright light, reduce water (like maybe every couple of weeks).

[estación seca]

It's a great question. When in the year the temperature drops doesn't matter that much. It just has to happen. Generally 6 weeks of night temperatures below about 55 F / 13C are sufficient. If that starts happening in September it is fine. It means your plant will probably flower a little earlier than people who can leave them out later in the year.

It is also important for flowering not to fertilize much past midsummer or so, about the time new growths are nearly mature. Fertilizing too late in the season will prevent flowering and promote formation of plantlets instead of flowers (keikis.)

Some people suggest withholding water instead of low temperatures. This doesn't work to induce flowering but might damage or kill the plant. They do not need to lose their leaves to flower. Those sold in flower usually have a full set of leaves.

The plant would probably be happy outdoors all Spring, Summer and most of Fall in your climate.

[Dalachin]

I live in central New York. I put my cool-loving dendros on a windowsill in the coolest room of my house, and to give them a bit of extra chill, I left the window open a crack on fall and early winter nights that were above freezing but chilly. It seems to have worked for most, including a kingianum that is just coming into bloom. Leaving them out in the fall for longer might be easier, but I’m fearful of forgetting to check when the temps start to dip, I’ve lost quite a few houseplants that way.

[FranningtonBear]

Living in the UK, I grow indoors on windowsills. My Den. Nobile type orchids re bloom without being placed outside. I do reduce water from late summer until they begin to grow again but don’t keep them completely dry - in the wild they would receive morning dew afterall!

[Canadienne]

I’m up in southern Ontario, my den Nobelis is becoming a great big bush. It had the cool nights for at least 6 weeks in the fall, lots of long light hours and supplemental light once back indoors and sun all of its time outdoors in springg summer and fall, gets watered with rain water. Looks fantastic, grows even better. And nothing else. Yet.