Dendrobiums blooming, spiking, and growing

[shadytrake]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

I mentioned white/yellow streaks on leaves as a potential sign of virus, not purple stripes.
Purple stripes are natural for some hybrids, especially when exposed to high light, it becomes more intense.

Sorry about that. Was reading too fast. Lots of dendroiums can have variegation when exposed to high light. If you see white then drying then tan, it is likely too much sun. Happens to me a lot down here in the intense summers. As long as you don't see a crippled/virused bloom you are probably okay.

Of course the nobile hybrids lose their leaves so the yellow striping is normal in the fall. Some will lose their leaves late if there is a cold snap and then will bloom again. That happened to me last year. Got two bloom cycles.

The spatulata/phalaenopsis types will stripe in very high light and eventually it damages the leaf so extra shade cloth would be needed.

I didn't see anything on yours that would alarm me but I couldn't see the leaf up close.

The blooms are great.

[NYCorchidman]

Yeah, I need a better picture. The yellow/light green streaks are pretty bad and I'm thinking of tossing it. They are definitely not sunburn. I burned a few leaves
I have two white "hard cane" that are showing these streaks and these white ones are the most common here, so I'm going to be ok without them. I am thinking of buying just colored ones as I have been now and if I miss white dendrobiums, then I'll just go to a store and buy a bunch of cutflowers, which usually last me two months in the vase anyways with much higher flower counts.
With all the baby dendrobiums I am propagating, I need more space anyways.

By the way, my nobiles never get streaks in the fall. They just turn plain bright yellow before falling off.
I found Fancy Angel Lycee very sensitive to temerature drop and bloom any time of the year, which is crazy in a nice way.

gotta love dendrobiums!

[MJSK]

I thought your Dendrobium Oriental Smile ‘Fantasy’ was so interesting that I bought one. I am in Boston and the local garden centers, and other stores that sell potted plants, don't have much orchid selections beyond Phals and other hybrids that appear to have been on steroids prior to shipping for sale. I found the company that created this hybrid; Yamamoto Dendrobiums and ordered one. They told me that they didn't have any in bloom, but the one the sent me had flowers and buds that hadn't opened yet. It has gorgeous coloring and a fragrance as well. They included a freeby - Dendrobium Fancy Angel 'Lycee' as well

(I hope it is OK to mentioned orchid growers and sellers?!?)

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by MJSK

I thought your Dendrobium Oriental Smile ‘Fantasy’ was so interesting that I bought one. I am in Boston and the local garden centers, and other stores that sell potted plants, don't have much orchid selections beyond Phals and other hybrids that appear to have been on steroids prior to shipping for sale. I found the company that created this hybrid; Yamamoto Dendrobiums and ordered one. They told me that they didn't have any in bloom, but the one the sent me had flowers and buds that hadn't opened yet. It has gorgeous coloring and a fragrance as well. They included a freeby - Dendrobium Fancy Angel 'Lycee' as well

(I hope it is OK to mentioned orchid growers and sellers?!?)

Congrats on your new plant with buds on!
Try and keep them in a cool spot then you get to enjoy the bloom for about 2-3 months.

Mentioning name is only helpful for those who want to get certain orchids they find attractive. Plus, yamamoto is VERY famous for their nobile hybrids.

I had Fancy Angel Lycee last year. They grow like weeds and flower twice or anytime the night temperature is lowered. maybe not in our eastern region though.

Oriental Smile Fantasy is my favorite nobile along with Love Memory. Love Memory has stronger fragrance. OSF has more of citrusy scent but weaker in intensity. I think the great coloring make up for it.
Mine are now growing two new shoots ( it had four, but snails ate the other two!). It's such a joy to watch them grow. they grow fast. water everyday in the summer.

[MJSK]

Thanks for the information. I have been reading up on Den. Nobile culture and am going to follow it closely. Luckily the building I live in does get cool in the winter. I grow orchids next to a southwest window and in a sunroom that faces the southwest as well. Thought there is heat in this room, it does get too warm.

I read about low nitrogen fertilizers and to stop fertilizing in early fall. I am hoping for success!

[NYCorchidman]

You're welcome. We all love to share information and succeed, right?

I'm not sure if you already have, but visit yamamoto dendrobium website and they have a very detailed information regarding nobile hybrid culture.

As long as you water them daily and there is an air flow (leave the window open to reduce heat buildup), direct sun and high heat is not much of a problem for these plants at all. I did have a few burned spots on leaves when first exposed them to direct sun after enjoying their flowers for months indoor, but then no more burn even in direct sun all summer long!

High light and water is very important while their actively growing. Water everyday! and some fertilizer doesn't hurt. They grow like weed without it but probably better with fertilizer.
Then completely stop watering in July just to be safe. If they are still growing (you can tell by looking at the top of the cane to see if it's done growing or not), maybe stop in August.

Stoping ALL fertilizer and high light (direct sun is better) are two most important factor in abundant flowering)

All my dendorbium nobiles were bought with single cane loaded with blooms. they grew lots more and what a flower show the following year!

Regarding winter rest, I don't have a cool enough place for these either. so what I did was I got a permission from a friend who has unheated (but also protected from feezing) balcony and put all my dens there all winter. Mine started to show buds in January and came into bloom around February/March.

I am going to experiment this year though. I will still put at least two dendrobiums at my friend's balcony just to be sure I see flowers the following spring, but I will also put one group outside everynight until first frost and then bring them indoor. I will put another group in the refrigerator at night for about one month or so.
It will be interesting to see the results of all this.

[NYCorchidman]

oh, one more thing, yours is in bloom now, right?
Is it also growing new shoots at the bottom of the plant?

If no, keep the plant in the shade to prolong the life of flowers. If yes, give them about one or two hours of sun in the late afternoon to keep the new shoots from getting too weak.

It's not necessarily strong light but the heat and dry air that damage the flowers life span. so keep that in mind and enjoy the colorful&fragrant bloom as long as possible!

[MJSK]

NYCorchidman,

THANK you for the information. I mistyped in my last message, the sunroom/greenhouse does NOT get too warm in the winter; there is some heat. The advantage of this room is that it gets light from above, while on the window sill it can only get light from the side. Both locations I have get the afternoon sun.

Am I to understand that you put your plants outside in direct sun? Even direct sun through a window gets filtered by the window. I read somewhere about putting Den. kingianum outside. I put mine in partial shade for a week and it is now outside where it will get morning sun, directly and shade towards the end of afternoon. I did read the information on Yamamoto Dendrobium's website and the information that came with the plants I received. They do say the plants can take full sun. (I am assuming the mean direct sun, outside.) I have a Den. Red Emperor 'Prince' whose flowers have just about dried up. I think I am going to gradually get it ready in partial shade (especially since is has been in a low sun window as I wanted the flowers to last and also have them in my office) and move it outside until Fall. Thanks again for great information and I will let you know how my Dendrobiums grow. Hopefully I can post some great pictures!

[NYCorchidman]

You're very welcome!

If your sunroom doesn't get too warm in the winter, then that is exactly what you want for dendrobium nobiles. As long as it doesn't freeze, they are fine.
They will lose all the leaves when kept quite cold during winter, which I prefer because then leaves don't interrupt the flowers too much when in bloom.
The minimum low temperature required (recommended by yamamoto dendrobium company) for the winter rest is 58 fahrenheit at least for one hour at night for about one month. When kept around this temperature, most leaves will stay intact on the plant, which is how most of them are sold.

I grow mine by the south window. They take full sun filtered by the window(glass doesn't filter much I think).
Yamamoto people grow theirs in the full sun outside. but remember they are in Hawaii where the plants get plenty of cool ocean breeze or mountain breeze with enough humidity.
The stronger the light, the better they will grow and more flowers the following spring.

If you get sun from above, that is great because the plants will then grow unright. I have to turn my pots every week or so to keep the canes from growing side way, which I don't like very much.

All afternoon sun may mean too much heat. You might want to water it well and keep the window open to keep from drying out and too much heat building up.

I move mine from some sun+shade(while in flower) to direct sun (after flowers are gone) and they either get no sunburn or just a few little black spots.
Truly sturdy plants. I love these!!!

By the way, Red Emperor I personally think has the best scent while not as strong as Love Memory which can fill up the whole room in the morning.

[NYCorchidman]

Do not water everyday yet unless the pot dries out completely in a day. so keep checking your media in the pots and if they are dry every day, then you can water them everyday.

Once the new shoots produce new roots, then you definitely have to water everyday. They grow big fast, so drying th media is the worst thing to do.

Mist in the morning or afternoon, whenever. Red Spider mites and aphids love to attach dendrobium nobiles.
Keep a close eye on the back side of the leaves on a weekly basis, although misting daily will keep the plants bug free.

Good luck! These are very easy and fun to grow!
and the reward is OMG!!!

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