Dendrobium Nobile Hybrid
 

Hello Everyone,

I was lucky enough to find a Yamamoto-like dendrobium nobile at my Trader Joe's (in Rhode Island - we usually only have Phals). I don't have much experience with these guys, I have more experience with micro-miniatures. I repotted the plant and was able to divide it into two plants.

I know that I was supposed to start a winter rest a few months ago, but I neglected to do this. Each week in RI we have a few days where temperatures are above freezing and a few days where they drop below freezing in the night. Would it be okay if I bring my plant outside when it's above freezing? My concern is that my house is heated around 68 degrees. So, when I bring the plant inside, there will be a noticeable temperature difference. I just don't want to stress the plant when bringing it inside and then putting it back outside and vice versa.

I have attached a photo of its placement.

Thank You :)

That will likely work. They are brought into bloom at various times of the year by manipulating temperature in commercial greenhouses.

There's the risk of forgetting and freezing.

Thanks so much estación!

I would not expose my orchids to such fluctuating temperature differences. That is bound to stress it out to the point of doing more harm than good imo.
It's all fine and good speculating what greenhouse growers do but that is something they definitely avoid.
If that was me I'd build a shelter next to the house somewhere - a house will generally provide a bit of warmth which would warm up the shelter enough to stop it getting too cold.
Orchids should be treated like a long term project not something you have to look after constantly by moving it daily but if it is only this year then that is different. They need about 2 months of cool weather so you just have to work out for next year when the best 2 months are and the rest of the time it can be brought in to avoid the coldest months.

As to what to do this year, well you can risk stressing it out by doing what you suggest which won't make it flower imo or just keep it warm - it might produce a few keiki's instead of flowering but it will do fine. Seeing orchids next to snow just doesn't feel right. I know some of mine can tolerate 5 degrees C but I don't ever give them that low! 12C is enough to trigger them to flower too even if they can tolerate lower, they don't all need it that low.

I agree with Orchidtinkerer that moving it inside and outside will stress it, and likely not get you the result that you seek. They don't need or want to be frozen! If you put it in a cooler area of the house (like near a window) it will still get a bit of nighttime chill without harm (but you don't want it touching a freezing-cold window... back it away a bit). Also reduce watering (don't eliminate it, but you can let it get dry before giving it another drink) and no fertilizer until you see new growth in the spring. (And go light on the fertilizer even then, too much nitrogen will have you growing keikis instead of flowers).

For what it is worth, I have a Dendrobium that turned out to be the species Den. nobile... it was labeled as something else and I had been treating it accordingly, warm in the greenhouse, light fertilizing) This fall (instead of spring) it bloomed, and that is when I identified it. It didn't read the books...