Dendrobium Nobile Care after Blooming
 

Hello,

I have been given a Dendrobium Nobile to look after now that it has finished blooming. Is it an easy or a difficult orchid? Since I started with it 3 new spikes and 1 keiki have developed. I know nothing at all about this type of orchid. What should I do with the spike that had all the flowers on it? What light conditions, temperature and humidity should I provide it with now? Does it need a lot of watering and fertilization now that it is autumn and it has finished blooming? Is it possible to get it to bloom again next year with proper care? I would be thrilled if I managed to look after it and it blooms again next year.

Thank you for helping.

Kind regards,
Edwin

I have just obtained a dens. myself. I have been told that they will need a winter rest. As in around november 15th range for me stop all watering and all fertilization, leave them in a cool space(65-75) with LOTS of sun light, they will lose all of their leaves. maybe...then when you start noticing new roots and growths start watering and fertilizing again as normal. And then you may or may not get a spike.

Maybe others with more experience will be able to give you even better advice:D Good growing!

I kept mine in my greenhouse last winter (min 5C/41F). I watered very little (only a couple of times through the winter) with no fertliser.

In the spring (arround valantines) I started watering and fertilising again as normal and it started growing and gave a couple of flowers.

I've been advised that you should stop fertiliser on these around August and reduce watering right down around Halloween. I didn't stop fertiliser until Halloween last year and I'm told that's why it hardly stopped growing until January and why it didn't flower well. This year I withdrew fertiliser at the beginning of August and I'll stop watering at Halloween and well see...

---------- Post added at 02:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:27 PM ----------

These don't spike as such... you get small groups of flowers coming from the canes. I just got the one group this year. Hoping for more next year.

Exactly which range of temperatures (lowest and highest9 do wintering Dendrobiums prefer? I do not mind when they flower if they give lots of flowers. Until 22 November I do my best to keep a night temperature of 11-14 C on my glazed balcony to help some of my Phaleonopsis to flower. After that until 1 December I shall do my best to keep a temperature there of at least 10 C for my cherry tomatoes. From 1 December I shall try to keep the temperature there at the range which is best for wintering Dendrobiums to get them to flower much and long. Thank you for your help.

It depends on the dendrobium unfortunately as dendrobium is a massive group.

I keep nobile types like yours in the greenhouse which gets a min of 5C/41F. Not sure if they like that or not, others might be able to advise better. They have done fine with that, but to be honest I'm not sure if it's the best.

Phal type dens I keep warmer. I have some others I keep somewhere in between. As I say it's a big group.

I have 1 Dendrobium kingianum and am looking after for Church 1 Dendrobium nobile. The D nobile has grown several new shoots (canes?) since I began caring for it. My D kingianum does not seem to do anything at all. Both are now on my glazed balcony where it is 13 C at present and 10-15 C most of the day. When I am at home I try to keep it 11-15 C for the Phaleonopsis at night till they have been there 2 weeks with that nighttime temperature range. I am very unsure of the needs of my Dendrobium kingianum. Can anyone educate me on them?

I was told different info.
I was told by someone on here that gets massive amount of flowers on their nobiles each spring, so their method is the one I'm trying out first.

Maybe you can try the opposite and we can compare in spring lol.

They said to water freely in winter. To keep it on a normal schedule. But give it a good long chill.



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I have my kingianum in the greenhouse with the nobile, so it gets a min of 5C. It grows like a weed and flowers every year, though it seems to mostly flower on the mass of keikis I always get. I have over fertilised in the winter in past years and I think that's the reason for the keikis though it is also a species prone to them.

After 1 December I shall give my D's a dry, cold spell until they develop buds. Then I shall water them normally. I am unsure if they should be brought inside after forming buds though.

I keep mine cool until the weather naturally warms which is different each year. Last year they were all quite late developing buds anyway.

This is what it says about D nobile on the Yamamoto link WhiteRabbit posted. "The species are extremely hardy, surviving temperatures ranging from warm to downright hot as well as enduring freezing temperatures in some locales. If kept dry, these species and hybrids will survive winter temperatures of 37-39 F (3-4 C) and will flower around April. If temperatures are maintained at about 62-64 F (17-18 C) as soon as buds appear, they will flower in January or February." I shall follow their advice on D nobiles.

Sounds good. Yes I think I go the cooler route. I think if following the warmer route I would bring them in once they start to flower.

Yamamoto website gives some very good information as to how to care for these plants.

By the way, DO NOT expose your plants to cool temperature now.
Here is why.
Your plant was "forced" to bloom at an odd time of the year for marketing.

See the tallest cane with dried up spikes along each node, and then the new shoots at its base?
This would "normally" and ideally happen in the spring time, when flowers just fade away and new growth cycle resumes.

Since yours is out of its "normal" growth cycle, you want to continue to provide warm growing environment to encourage those new shoots to grow on. Otherwise, you will be damaging those tiny new growths.

Your main focus is to grow them as big as possible for the best show next season, which will be either the fall of 2014 or the spring of 2015.

Keep the plant warm (these plants take full sun and hot temperature, although not required) and expose to strong light for good growth.
Also, water well so as not to dry out.

Dendrobium nobile and D kingianum
 

Thank you I had no idea. It has been on my cool balcony for a week or more. Now it is inside and watered. It is 22 C where it stands, near the kitchen window facing south and I have extra lighting as it is cloudy and will soon be dark again here (about 3 p.m. it gets dark and at after 8 a.m. it gets light). I do not want to force any of my orchids but just see to their requirements for them to thrive and bloom naturally. If I had my way no plants would ever be forced, not even for marketing. The Dendrobium kingianum is a keiki from an old plant whose flowers I have not seen. A friend gave me it. I do not know what it needs and have assumed that it needed to be cooled and dry over the winter. As you see the tips of the leaves are beige. I took that to be an indication that the plant needed to be wintered. Therefore it is on the balcony where it is now 14 C. Should I bring it in too? When I go out I close the balcony door. Outside it is 7 C so the balcony temperature will probably sink to 10 C or if I am unlucky lower. I have cherry tomatoes there so I aim at a temperature of at least 10 C when it is light. For the 4 wintering Phaleonopsis I aim at a night temperature of 11-14 C. As long as it is light they are inside in a window facing south. I have no room for them where I have extra lighting.

You're welcome!
I'd love to offer help. :)

Regarding your kingianum, they are about as hardy as nobile. That one can stay in the cool room for the entire winter. Keep them on the dry side but you do need to water every so often. Otherwise, they will dry up and die.

Phals will adapt to "artificial winter" when it is cool and days are shorter. 15 at night is perfect any time of the year but 10 may be too cold.
You want to bring them next to your bedroom maybe?
Keep then on the dry side also. Otherwise, rot may set in.
Are your phala in moss or bark?

If in moss, do not soak as doing so can invite problems during the cooler&darker season.
Just mist the moss heavily until it becomes just moist.

If in bark, you want to thoroughly water it when dry.

All the best!

I have a nobile hybrid which blooms heavily. I found it is crucial to stop fertilizing mid-August or it will keep initiating new canes at end of season. I reduce watering starting November, but with hybrids, you don't really need to stop watering completely. I open the window at night and it gets night temps around 50f each night starting in November. I resume watering and fertilizing once the buds are developing, usually mid-February.