Dendrobium nobile hybrids blooming early

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by TOMMYMIAMI

Thanks God rained stopped some 3 days ago, and so far with help of fans and repot everything seems good, will see. I did visit his website many times, saw them, horrible jealousy:-) I got 3 of his this year in summer, so this will be first winter rest and hope for them to bloom, we do not definitely have any cold nights like you guys, and I read that you put it into the fridge, really? How do you do it, please details, when do you start, for how long, does it really help and not kill the plant? When did you stop watering, really strange they do bloom so soon, it was very short dry rest:-)

I'm glad to hear that the rain has finally stopped.

Yeah, my dream is to have a big enough green house with all of Yamamoto hybrids growing beautifully in it!

Which ones did you get?? and what size? I know they have three sizes.

Somewhere on the Yamamoto website, there is a detailed information regarding the care of these plants.

refrigerator is only for the smallest variety I have (Country Girl) as I have so much food in my fridge.

I used to over winter my nobile hybrids at my friend's unheated glass-covered sunroom. The flowering was just amazing then!
He sold his apartment last year and I no longer have this option anymore, and I got rid of many of my nobiles. I could get them easily, but I like to grow myself, you know?

Well, I keep my favorite, which is Oriental Smile 'Fantasy' AD/AOS, although I was not sure if it would bloom for me at this warm apartment.
Well, to my surprise, it did give me a few flowers. I was not happy, but better than nothing, right?

This year, it is blooming even earlier, but about the same as last time. just a handful. I guess I'd better get used to this and be happy with it.

Now, with the fridge, I simply stick that one plant in the fridge every night. Yamamoto website says one hour per night for about one month is enough, so I usually leave it in at least one hour, but last night I left it in overnight.
It is about 40F in there, so it does not harm the plant at all. These are plants that can take much lower temperature.
It has been about two weeks and I am seeing quite a few buds sprouting already. I think I will continue on for at least another two weeks or so.

I will post pictures of the plant then.

Regarding watering, I never stop watering.
I keep all the canes plump year around. During the growth season, I water daily, but during the "rest" I water much less often. maybe when the pot dries up, which can be once a week or so.

---------- Post added at 10:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:34 PM ----------

Originally Posted by silken

Beautiful., I never get a lot of flowers, just a few???

How big is your plant?
You want to grow them really big during the summer because the more "nodes" you have, the more spikes you'll get as each node will make one spike, which then makes one to six flowers (depending on the variety and the individual plant's habit).

Stop all fertilizing in the mid summer.
Expose the plant to highest light and cool or cold weather for at least one month.
This is the recipe for the ample flowering.

[silken]

My few plants are all at least a foot tall and I have had them for several years. I don't think they are young. I start giving bloom booster feed in mid summer and quit all feed by some time in Aug. Then I do keep them cool, dry and fairly bright. They aren't getting as much light as I would like for them this year, but they have been poor performers the last few years, even with more light. Maybe I don't feed them enough in the summer-who knows. They are going to get tossed one of these days. Oops, now I sound like you

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Well, I have Den. Red Emperor, Den. Oriental Smiles 'Butterfly", Den. Super Ise. See, this is the thing, everyone does this different, you do not stop water, however many others does, and I have to follow something, drives me nuts, so I chose to listen to the grower of many many Dendros here in Florida, no watering for mine from now till buds appear. The cold weather is nearly impossible, wwe get few cold nights now and than, but we are talking in the 5o's, there was so far one night this year, that's all. I think mine are big for the fridge unfortunately, so that would not work, I wish I could do it for at least hour every night now:-(
I will try to place them over the baking dish filled with the ice as I do for my Masdevallia from now till January and will see if that helps little bit. I did stop fertilizer in September so good there!

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by silken

My few plants are all at least a foot tall and I have had them for several years. I don't think they are young. I start giving bloom booster feed in mid summer and quit all feed by some time in Aug. Then I do keep them cool, dry and fairly bright. They aren't getting as much light as I would like for them this year, but they have been poor performers the last few years, even with more light. Maybe I don't feed them enough in the summer-who knows. They are going to get tossed one of these days. Oops, now I sound like you

OMG, you made me laugh so much with that last sentence.

I have to help keep orchid business going, right?

Well, do you have a straight species? I heard they are harder to bloom.

Also, how do you water during the rest? Do they get all wrinkly and stuff? That can negatively affect flowering in the spring.

Last, how big is that plant each? many dead canes or too crowded??

Trust me, it is not the feeding. I have never fed them this year, not even once, and look at them now!

---------- Post added at 01:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:23 AM ----------

Originally Posted by TOMMYMIAMI

Well, I have Den. Red Emperor, Den. Oriental Smiles 'Butterfly", Den. Super Ise. See, this is the thing, everyone does this different, you do not stop water, however many others does, and I have to follow something, drives me nuts, so I chose to listen to the grower of many many Dendros here in Florida, no watering for mine from now till buds appear. The cold weather is nearly impossible, wwe get few cold nights now and than, but we are talking in the 5o's, there was so far one night this year, that's all. I think mine are big for the fridge unfortunately, so that would not work, I wish I could do it for at least hour every night now:-(
I will try to place them over the baking dish filled with the ice as I do for my Masdevallia from now till January and will see if that helps little bit. I did stop fertilizer in September so good there!

I love Red Emperor! used to buy it every spring. It used to be fairly common in the market here, but now it is all Love Memory. I like the fragrance on that one because Red Emperor has rather different scent compared to most other nobiles.
Butterflies also cute with dark center. I had one before. Super Isle is "warm tolerant" so I think it should flower more easily than others.

The one in the first picture still has some growing to do before the cane is fully mature, so I would not subject it to cool temperature just yet, but you can if you have no options.

Regarding the watering, trust me. The best grower is the one who came up with all these hybrids that are sold all over the world today, Yamamoto. On their website, it says you only stop watering when the temperature dips into low 40s for fear of root damage.
In the wild, the species nobile gets lots of water during the winter in the form of morning dew and the air is quite humid also.
In the culture environment, not watering at all is a completely different thing.
I think it is one of those things that are incorrectly spread. Less water talked about in the east coast turns into no watering at all by the time the word reaches the west coast kind of thing, you know?

But if the grower has light misting system that "water" the nobiles often in the greenhouse, then they probably do not count that as watering.

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[silken]

None of mine are species. They are Oriental Smile, Wave King 'Akebono', and a NOID that I am sure is Star Sapphire. All of those are Yamamoto hybrids. Potting media is good in small pots but not over crowded with old dead canes or anything. It seems they resent re-potting so I don't disturb them too often. I tried totally not watering from Halloween to Valentines which was a rule I had been told. But then I was told, to water a bit so I started that method last year and the canes are fairly nice and plump. Some have lost quite a few leaves but not uncommon either. Just not my thing maybe but I do enjoy the blooms I get and they are so long lasting and most are scented. I never throw out anything with any green, so not to worry!

[NYCorchidman]

That is strange then...

Try a bit cooler and sunnier during the winter and see what you get. Don't you have cymbidiums in your greenhouse? maybe you can fit your nobiles along with cymbidiums?

My best flowering ever was achieved under such conditions at a friend's balcony in the past.
It would be sunny for nearly all day and temperature was just barely above freezing at night and on cloudy days. On sunny days, it would warm up quite a bit, but the night was always nearly freezing.
I think it will do the trick.

and yes, you want to keep those canes plump at all times.
No water from Halloween till Valentine? OMG!!! Who told you that? Not even a toughest cacti won't survive such a drought! lol
I water at least once a week. I never ever let a single wrinkle show up. I know slight wrinkles are perfect fine, but I like it nice and fat.

Dropping leaves are good and I prefer it that way as they do not interfere with the beautiful flowers.
I read in Japan they strip off the leaves for better appearance unless plants voluntarily drop them.
You can see how much nicer it looks by looking at pictures on Yamamoto website.
In the US, people prefer the plant with leaves intact, so nurseries keep them at a certain temperature to keep the leaves green.

I also strip them off unless the plants drop them on their own.
Actually, yesterday I stripped down all the leaves on three nobiles. One of them, Oriental Smile 'Fantasy' drop all the leaves on its own this year. overheard me already I guess. lol

My Oriental Smile has been in the same pot for a number of years now. I'm so terrible. hahaha

Speaking of OS, it is now turning color to its golden tropical sunset tone today. yay!!!
The flowering is only slightly better than last year, but the flower count is about the same. It looks nicer this time because the spikes are closer together making a small bouquet, the way nobiles should look like.
Last time, it was a few spikes here and there spread along a super tall cane. It looked funny.

[flexdc]

Actually I practice the no watering regiment as well. Some dens, namely lindleyi, will not flower unless this is strictly observed. However, my dens do get rained on, but usually that does bit amount to much.
One observation, if the new canes weren't developed well during the growing season, they will not flower no matter what kind of treatment you give them. To make the new canes grow well, I find that they need summer heat. I used to live close to the beach and day time high seldom reached 80 degrees, all my nobiles did not put out strong plump canes.
If your summers aren't particularly warm, I would summer them inside.

Andrew

[ron-in-norcal]

One thing I've been trying to find out, are those Yamamoto nobiles fragrant? I'm so tempted to order a few.

[silken]

My nobiles are fragrant and they are Yamamoto hybrids.

Mine live in the greenhouse in the summer and winter. Summers I struggle to keep temps below 90F and winters are 65 day and 55 at night. Last year the nobiles were on the windowsill where it had to be very much cooler, without freezing. I get a few blooms but never excess amounts. Since I have 150 orchids, maybe these are a tad neglected-I don't know. My 2 Cyms are in full spike but they actually begin spike in the fall before I even bring them in. Maybe I should keep the nobiles outside in fall with them.

[ron-in-norcal]

Thanks, Silken, I'll order some and try them out. I think where I live just east of San Diego should be good. Summers are warm, winters are cool, but most winters do not reach freezing (though they come close). Probably have to water them more in summer due to the low humidity, etc.