Nobile Dens in S/H

[Jerry Delaney]

I have questions about nobile Dendrobiums in S/H. I have always followed the practice in the fall of ;
1. stop fertilizing
2. reduce or stop watering
3. cool the plants down into the 40's
I know that many of todays nobile Dens do not need the cooling but I can't always remember if certain ones do or don't need the cool temps so I just treat them all. I would think that the fertilizer should still be withheld but am unsure about the water. If the roots have adapted to being in water, what happens after several months of little or no water. HELP!

[Lene Th.]

This is the first fall for my Dens in S/H as well, but i was thinking to stop fertilizing, but keep up the watering. I dont think the roots would do well in dry leca, as the leca would suck the little humidity out of the roots when the leca dryed out...
Just my opinion...

I will check out this tread if someone else answer, as i need an assurance as well

[Ray]

I have never grown them, but I have had two different, apparently successful techniques related to me:

1. Let them dry out as you would in regular culture. I suspect that the whole plant goes more-or-less dormant, so the roots would be mostly unaffected anyway.
2. Continue watering, but use NO fertilizer whatsoever during the "rest" period.

If you're going to cool them as well, I'd thing the first is a better choice.

[Jerry Delaney]

Thanks for the info Lean & Ray!

[Ross]

I would think the continue watering will prevent blooming and leaf loss needed. My experience with nobile types when I was doing binge and starve fertilizing and continued water without fertilizer over winter was the plants held their leaves and didn't go dormant and, thus, did not bloom. Can't you go through a period of flushing the LECA for a couple weeks, then pour off the water and leave everything dry? The last years roots for me turn bone dry and crispy with no green ends. Then when I resume watering in spring they start regowing from the old roots as well as adding new roots. If you want to see how this looks, let me know and I'll post a close-up pic.

[Jerry Delaney]

Originally Posted by Ross

If you want to see how this looks, let me know and I'll post a close-up pic.

Thanks for the info Ross. Sure, I'd love to see the pictures!!!

[Ray]

Ross, scroll down in my S/H Example Photos and you'll see some blooming that had been watered all winter.

Also, over at The OrchidSource Forum, there is even a better example: The Orchid Source Forum: One big thank you