Dendrobium Dream Ace in bud

[NYCorchidman]

I won this plant from the society auction last June.
It was loaded with cute little pink/white flowers and I had to have it.
It turned out it was also loaded with mealy bugs. in and around every single flowers and leaves.
After fierce battle, I won and have not since the bugs since!

It did grow three weak new canes. I did not care for the plant very much thinking I might just toss it.

I was only going to keep it if it would flower for me in the spring, and now some of the older canes are bearing dark pinkish buds. I guess this guy does not require lot of cooling as I grow this along the south window.

I repotted ( or should I say potted as I never really put any mix lol) the plant in a clay balls as soon as I spotted buds because that was a cue for me to keep this plant. d

I am soooo looking forward to seeing those cute pink flowers again, and without the bugs this time.

[MrsSky]

Wow, look at all of those buds! Please post flower pics soon.

[WhiteRabbit]

Awesome!

[NYCorchidman]

They are popping up now.

I will post when all are in full bloom.
should be quite nice! yay!!!

[Vanda lover]

Wow! I wish my nobile would bloom like that!

[NYCorchidman]

You live in BC. Nobiles should bloom like crazy.
Just grow them outside in the winter, but do not let it get wet from all the rain you guys get.

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

You live in BC. Nobiles should bloom like crazy.
Just grow them outside in the winter, but do not let it get wet from all the rain you guys get.

I don't think I could grow them outside in the winter. Although it mostly stays above freezing, we sometimes get several nights in a row when it can go as low as -14 c
I usually keep it out in my little unheated greenhouse until it starts freezing hard. I think I was confused about resting it, but I might get it right this year. I should begin to feed and water when the buds show. Is this right?

[NYCorchidman]

Ok, -14 will definitely kill them. lol
I thought it was much milder on average though.
You can still benefit if you leave it outside where it is cold but make sure you bring them in when the temperature is expected to go below 0 C.

Cold winter really bring out the best flowering out of these plants.
If you have unheated greenhouse, it should be good enough even when it is freezing outside, isn't??

I used to winter all my nobiles at my friends who had unheated balcony. Those were the days when my nobiles bloomed in full glory!

You don't need to fertilize until after flowers fade or when you see new shoots.
Now this is rather grey because when these are grown in ideal conditions (cold winter and gradual warming in the spring) new shoots usually do not appear until flowers are all open. When they are grown too warm, new shoots will start to grow early on. Fertilizing is recommended as soon as the new shoots develop, but developing flower buds do not need fertilizing. The canes have all they need already.
Cold temperature is an important cue for the flowers to develop.

[Vanda lover]

Yes, that is what I thought. I always leave them out in the greenhouse which is fine for a good part of the winter. We usually get our first hard frost in November or December and it gets cold enough for a little ice on my pond. Most winter nights it only goes a little bellow freezing. I think it is watering them that is the problem. It is difficult to judge when to water during winter. The lady who sold it to me told me it didn't need a rest, so for the first couple of years I didn't rest it. I got no bloom. Now I try to keep it cool and bright through winter.

[NYCorchidman]

Some people have no idea. Nobile and its hybrids all need chilling of some sort to bloom, but the cooler the better the flowering.

Regarding watering during the "rest", I watered mine when the pot got bone dry, which was about once a week. Occasionally, I would forget and go without watering for two weeks or so. but it does not matter much as long as you don't see the canes wrinkle.

Some people say they do not water from Thanksgiving till Valentines. That is also not correct way to go about it.
In the nature, they get plenty of water in different forms during the winter rest.
Some people I think have wrong idea of what "drier" rest means.
No watering at all in cultivation is worse than dessert where plants still get some moisture in the early morning.

Let your canes (or pot weight) be your guide and you will be good.

After all, you did a great job managing to flower Love Memory.