Dendrobium Nobile - out of season? When to repot?

[Mountain Kat]

Purchased a dendrobium Loving Memory Fizz in bud . the flowers have now faded and some of the older canes are dropping leaves. There are several immature growths and a keiki that bloomed with an additional immature growth. Now that it is fall, I was thinking the plant needed winter rest - but with these immature growths - maybe not?

This is my first Den and I am new to semi-hydro. My questions are: should I leave in old pot, reduce watering and rest? Or should I repot and keep watering and put on seeding mat? I also just put up grow lights to augment my light for the winter months here in Montana (yes, everything is inside). Finally,should I repot the keiki now?

Thanks so much.

[WhiteRabbit]

[estación seca]

The new growth doesn't look mature, so continue watering. Keep it as warm and brightly-lit as you can until the new growth is mature. I would not fertilize any more this year.

Cool winter temperatures are important for this plant to flower next spring. Some people say they should dry completely in winter, but Yamamoto Orchids does not suggest this.

Don't repot going into winter. Repot this plant next spring, if it doesn't bloom, or early summer, if it does bloom. In early spring it will suddenly begin making a lot of new shoots from the base. This may happen while the plant is making new buds, or there may be no buds. If the plant has no flower buds when it begins growing, repot then. If it has flower buds, wait to repot until it's finished flowering.

Don't separate the keikiis. They are too small to make it thought a cool winter rest if you separate them. I would separate the keikiis next spring when it's good and warm, and they are growing again.

In general, don't fertilizer Dendrobium nobile species and hybrids after mid to late August in the Northern Hemisphere. Fertilizing too late is the main cause of failure to flower. If you have a weak plant you don't want to stress with flowering, it makes sense to fertilize later in the season.

Edit June 15 2020:
Yamamoto Dendrobiums in Japan hybridizes and produces a great number of these plants. Their Web site formerly had excellent growing information for hobbyists. Unfortunately it is no longer there. You can still look at the varieties they grow, and maybe see one very similar to yours.

I saved the page, and summarized it in a post in this thread:
Uncertain if Dendrobium is still alive

Yamamoto now has a page showing how to force Dendrobium nobile for Christmas flowering in Japan's climate. There is a lot to learn from that page, but it is intended for growers who can artificially heat and cool their greenhouses during off seasons. Note they use coconut husk for growing medium, which many orchidists would say retains too much water for orchids. For many orchids that is correct, but this is a very thirsty orchid.

[Mountain Kat]

Thank you so much - I appreciate the advice and the link was super helpful too!