When to water a Dendrobium loddigesii in bud

[okieOrchid]

My Dendrobium loddigesii are budding ( I can see multiple green nubs starting to push out ). The canes are totally leafless as of now. So do I start to water the plant now or should I wait until the flowers start to open ?? This is my first year flowering a Dendrobium loddigesii
Thanks

[Connie Star]

I have a den loddigesii that I thought was in spike but I now think is making keikis. It never lost it's leaves. Are they deciduous?

[Connie Star]

By the way, Okie, Welcome to OB! Don't be fooled by the number of my posts- I'm still a NoOB.

[okieOrchid]

I think Dendrobium loddigesii is decidous. Mine lost ALL of its leaves. I kept them pretty dry since November. No watering, just some light spraying of water every 2-3 weeks.

[SOS]

They can be deciduous. I would water away if it's starting to bud, the vegetative cycle is not far behind.

[Austin Powers]

Hi,
I started watering when I saw the first signs of growth. Unfortunately I seem to only have keikis. I will be keeping it drier next winter. I think I chickened out and watered too much over the winter. I just could not bear to really let it be so dry. Mine lost about half its leaves. Anyway, if I can get it right next winter, I should have lots of new growth to bloom.
Did you keep your plant cool over the winter as well as dry??
Good luck,
Stephen

[Gin]

I keep mine cooler and drier it bloomed last year but also made keiki's ..

[gnathaniel]

These will almost always grow 'keikis' in my experience, it seems to be a normal part of their growth habit (which is sort of branching/scrambling/vining). I haven't seen any advantage to keeping them extremely dry over the winter; watering more helps them keep their leaves and actually bloom earlier. Follow the plant, if it loses all its leaves no matter what you do then cut back on water because it doesn't need as much when leafless. If the leaves are still green and firm, I just keep on watering with no problems yet. Temperature drops, especially at night, seem to push these into blooming more than anything else.

--Nat

[RosieC]

I think mine has been kept too wet this year as well, no leaf loss... Mine as a new keiki starting and no sign of buds.

I read somewhere that if you water too soon potential buds can actually form keikis (something like the initial stage has the potential to be either).

However it's my first winter with any deciduos Den as well so I don't really have any experience to go on

[Gin]

When I said drier did not mean bone dry just less in the cooler temps . Mine still has it's leaves , did last year and bloomed .