Can I put my dendrobium kingianum in the fridge at night to induce blooming? - Orchid Board

astrid · #1 02-19-2015, 09:38 PM

Hey everyone!

I just picked up a dendrobium kingianum and it smells beautiful. it is honey and sweet with a floral smell mixed in- I could bury my nose in it all day!

I have read around the net that they are hard to rebloom because they need to have a pretty cold nighttime temperature for 2-3 weeks in winter to induce blooming.

I have no outdoor space for plants, and even if I did they would get drenched in rain all winter long and probably die anyway.

But I for the bright idea to pop my kingianum in the fridge at night next winter and that'll get it to bloom again. What do you guys think? Is the idea too kooky?

I would take it out in the mornings obviously, but would it harm the plant in any way? Obviously the fridge shouldn't get to freezing temps but it would probably be kept at 42-45 degrees F.

jmmehler · #2 02-19-2015, 11:22 PM

aww c'mon! Surely you have a cold(er) spot somewhere in your home, a basement, a far off window, an uninsulated window. Just put it there. set a work light over it with a 100w (27w) cfl bulb on a timer, and leave it alone for a few weeks.

Couldn't hurt to try.

astrid · #3 02-20-2015, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmmehler

aww c'mon! Surely you have a cold(er) spot somewhere in your home, a basement, a far off window, an uninsulated window. Just put it there. set a work light over it with a 100w (27w) cfl bulb on a timer, and leave it alone for a few weeks.

Couldn't hurt to try.

No. I have a 200sqft dorm room and that is all I have. It's pretty uniform in temperature and I can't set my plant on the windowsill because the dang genius architects put the radiator right there. Which I turn on in the cold months to keep warm.

So yeah, I really don't have the space and certainly don't have a basement haha.

Tschimm · #4 02-20-2015, 08:38 AM

Putting radiators under windows makes perfect sense, buying a kinginianum without having a cool spot not so much ;-)

Try it out with the fridge. Works perfectly with Ornithidium sophronitis from what I heard on our last society meeting :-)
That's a much smaller plant though ...

cbuchman · #5 02-20-2015, 11:08 AM

My kingianum blooms reliably every year. It is outside in the summer until the night temps are consistently below 50 degrees F and then inside in the winter. Once it comes in, I reduce water until it spikes. Works like a charm. No refrigeration.....

I would try without the 'fridge first and see if it blooms.

Orchid Whisperer · #6 02-20-2015, 12:48 PM

Does the window open at all? Get creative - maybe try hanging the plant in a mesh bag out the window. Do that when the temperature is cooler, but not expected to frost. If you are on something like the 10th floor of your dorm, better make sure the bag is securely anchored to a cord, which is also anchored at the other end to something in your room!

My D. kingianum will get moved outdoors this spring when the night temperatures are staying reliably above 40 degrees F.

Leafmite · #7 02-20-2015, 03:39 PM

You could always put a piece of it in the fridge for a few nights and if the piece doesn't suffer cold damage, then you know that it is safe for the rest of it. I have Pleione in the refrigerator right now. They are bulbs that need to be kept around 40'F while dormant. Perfect!

I have the same problem. I have a house but there is no perfect place to put the plants that need wintered over in cooler temperatures. (The garage gets too cold.) Last year, I left my kingianum outside for those cooler fall temperatures and it did not survive (must have been colder than predicted). With so many stories of people losing their fig trees last year due to the cold weather, I am wintering ours indoors. Good thing, too. :|

astrid · #8 02-20-2015, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

Does the window open at all? Get creative - maybe try hanging the plant in a mesh bag out the window. Do that when the temperature is cooler, but not expected to frost. If you are on something like the 10th floor of your dorm, better make sure the bag is securely anchored to a cord, which is also anchored at the other end to something in your room!

My D. kingianum will get moved outdoors this spring when the night temperatures are staying reliably above 40 degrees F.

That's my other issue, haha. I have ivy growing out the window and I feel like putting my orchids near it will invite pests. Haha, what sort of situation have I put myself in in this funny dorm room.

We're also not allowed to put things out our windows anyway. T___T

It may seem ridiculous, but I am indeed limited with my space and my options for the next year or so!

---------- Post added at 04:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:35 PM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafmite

You could always put a piece of it in the fridge for a few nights and if the piece doesn't suffer cold damage, then you know that it is safe for the rest of it. I have Pleione in the refrigerator right now. They are bulbs that need to be kept around 40'F while dormant. Perfect!

I have the same problem. I have a house but there is no perfect place to put the plants that need wintered over in cooler temperatures. (The garage gets too cold.) Last year, I left my kingianum outside for those cooler fall temperatures and it did not survive (must have been colder than predicted). With so many stories of people losing their fig trees last year due to the cold weather, I am wintering ours indoors. Good thing, too. :|

Yeah, I have an extra mini fridge and I think I'll just put it on a warmish setting and refrigerate the den there haha. I read kingianums are alright as long as they don't actually freeze.

That's a good way to test it, too! Lol just wait, someday I will have an orchid fridge... oh dear.

Subrosa · #9 02-20-2015, 08:17 PM

My kingianum is in a room which will likely get to 40F tonight. It did last night, and there was a heavy frost on the inside of a window a couple feet away. Happens a few times each year. It sits about 2" below a T5HO with a top quality individual reflector, so it's kept very bright during the day. Outside it gets full sun. I give it a good watering once a month from November to February with a light misting maybe once a week. It's definitely getting little buds on it, so hopefully I'll see some flowers this spring.

AJW · #10 02-20-2015, 11:31 PM

I have a lot of dendrobiums and cool temps to induce flower spikes is a new one on me.
Down this part of the world we tend to hold back on the watering to induce spiking. You can also look at a fertilizer change as well, a weak solution of Epson salts often gives them a boost. (Only one application is enough)