These plants never cease to amaze me!

[justatypn]

Wow Sue, excellent formula and working well...

[Mahon]

Looking great Sue! They hopefully like the cold up there...

-Pat

[Linnie]

Sue,

You brought up a question, I have several small Nobile dendrobiums and two of them have one bloom open , but lots of buds. The question I have is when do you start watering them again. I have withheld fertilizer, but now that I have a single bud open, do I start watering and fertilizing now?? I am so excited about all the little buds and don't want to kill them. Or should I just spritz them??? And for how long do I do that????

I checked out culture info, but no where does it tell you what happens if some are already open..

Thanks, be sure to send some pix when they are in bloom!!

[cb977]

Hi Linnie, I stopped feeding them in mid-November with just an occasional light misting. It's been unusally warm here and the seasons seem to be a little "off" so the mistings have still been light, just a little more often.
I think by mid-end Fab, I'll start their regular regimen again.

This is my first year with these plants, so it's all learning by experience. If anybody else has some opinions on the subject of nobiles, I'm sure there are more people asking the same questions and would appreciate your suggestions.

[Linnie]

Sue,

I like your setup for the hanging dendrobiums. It looks like you have your den in s/h in a plastic pot and then that pot inside a clay pot?? And the hanger is on the clay pot???

Think I might try that, the s/h helps with the tall dens but the smaller plastic pots still need something else to keep them from falling over. I guess hanging them solves that problem too..

I'm looking at all ideas because FINALLY our orchid room is getting built. They were supposed to pour the concrete today but it doesn't look they are going to make it..

By the way, I saw the first announcement for the Redlands show in this month's AOS' Orchid magazine.

[cb977]

I originally had everything in clay pots. Then I changed it all over to clear pots with slits and aliflor (not actually s/h) and realized after the first one or two tall ones fell over that they needed more weight. I had been worried about what I would do with all the clay pots I had...now I have 4 or 5 left! A lot of my plants are on ground level and with a bad back, it was hard to bend over and pick each of them up when they had to be moved. Adding a hanger to use as a handle was a stroke of genius, if I do say so myself

I saw the Redlands ad too, but I'm skipping it this year. My next BIG show will be the WOC in '08

There's a huge sale/show in Miami this weekend...Tamiani Orchid Festival. Over 50 growers from around the world...indoors. I've heard it called "Redlands with Air Conditioning".

If you want the location and information, I can come up with it...let me know

[Ross]

For my D. superbum I wait till the buds are very well developed. I imagine I will start watering within a week or so. I start with holding all water the day after Halloween and start watering again in Feb when I see well-deloped flower buds and new shoots. I have three plants and only one is not producing this year. The best one, on cork, is very dry and has about 8-10 rows of buds per stem (2 stems). The other that will bloom this year has three stems but only 3-5 rows of buds per stem. It is mounted on osmundum.

[Linnie]

Hi Ross,

That is what I need to know. I still face this orchid newbee challenge of thinking it's been weeks, it's going to die if I don't water it!! And reading the cultural information and knowing nature takes it's course.

Thanks

And Sue. I would love to go the Miami show, but I think I 'll have to pass. Have you signed up for the World show yet?

Has any one else signed up or planning to go.??Would be cool if we could have all arrange to meet there...

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Linnie

Hi Ross, I still face this orchid newbee challenge of thinking it's been weeks, it's going to die if I don't water it!! And reading the cultural information and knowing nature takes it's course.

Thanks

...

Linnie, Mine look REALLY dry right now! I know they are fine from experience, however. The first year I had them, I babied them and they did fine - grew great leaves, but no flowers. After that I checked with the vendor who suggested a very dry rest period in winter. I picked Holloween because it is easy to remember. I wait for bud development then shoot development. Just said to my wife today I will start watering Feb 1st (just to pick a date.) Buds are developing very nicely on two of the three plants. The hold-out has never bloomed and started life as a kiki, so it may be something I get rid of - "either you produce or you die" Good luck on yours. You will eventually set your schedule in the fall, not now in the spring.

[cb977]

The Den Spring Dream 'Kumiko' bloomed today: