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stonedragonfarms · #11 10-27-2007, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsfrid

Tindo, I discussed winter rest very thoroughly with Harry at Andy's Orchids because I have had a theory for a while that winter desication (if you will) may not be required all the time. He agreed with me that sometimes it's more important to "build up" the plant by maintaining same water/fertilizer regime during winter (the normal rest period for those of us in Northern Latitudes) and getting more roots, etc. then to force blooms on potentially weaker plants. The reason I say this is that you might not want to turn down a plant that is supposed to go through a supposed-dormancy just because that would be a problem for you. The "winter rest" might not be required for bloom and also might not be encouraged with a smallish plant that you want to grow bigger in the first place. Just think about it.

Another thing to consider about winter rest is the actual span of time that the plants are resting; a good rule of thumb is from Halloween to Valentine's Day (about 104 days give or take...) Their winter in nature is not the 5 months of winter that we in the midwest/northeast have every year... Keep in mind though that most plants (aside from terrestrials in monsoon regions) are exposed to heavy fog/dew during their winter "stasis". There are very few epiphytes or lithophytes that can survive an absolute winter rest. Also bear in mind that many of the plants that require a winter rest also should be exposed to cooler temperatures. That being said, with many of the dendrobiums, you should aim for cooler temps (nobile types will take night temps in the upper 40's...lower if the media is kept bone dry and there is good air movement...) A good routine for plants in dormancy might be along the following lines: Reduced temps (say 15F less than what you were growing at), with misting every 3-4 days (you should be misting the canes only, not the media; you are aiming to increase relative humidity around the plant, not saturate the media); about once per month, you may want to lightly water the media--do not water if the media feels moist to the touch. Most dendrobiums of the nobile type will start to show bud swell anytime between mid November and mid February; while buds are developing do no water or fertilize your plants...they will do what they need to do. As to when to restart watering...it depends on the individual plant...and that is another thread in and of itself.

As far as not initiating winter rest in plants...I agree with the point about building your plant up; this is commonly done with seedlings out of flask, they are grown in day-neutral settings (think 16hrs of light year round) and are not "introduced to the way things should be" until they are strongly growing. Better to wait a season or two and have a plant that is capable of strong flowering and subsequent growth, than to have a plant that expends all of its energy to bloom the first time.
Just my 2 cents...
Adam