The Orchid Garden

Dendrobiums, etc.

Question:

Hi all….I have several questions…hope someone can help me! 1. Just bought my first dendrobium nobile (gorgeous!!). So far it is doing well, but I’d appreciate any info on its care, esp. its growth cycles, when/if to repot, rest period (when? for how long? how much water, light, what temps?), etc. Most of the books I read don’t talk very much about nobiles. I don’t even know how to pronounce the word "nobile"!   2. I recently bought four phal-type dendrobiums at an orchid show, all in spike or bloom. They were Hawaiian-grown and I live in the Northeast, which may be why one suffered bud blast and dropped all its leaves right after I got it home–I use humidifiers and mist twice daily, but it’s still not Hawaii!  So now it is just a bunch of pseudobulbs. The medium was badly decomposed so I repotted it recently. The roots seemed to be in okay condition. Might it recover? Should I keep fertilizing and watering normally, or let it rest? 3. Another of the aforementioned Den. Phalaenopses was top heavy and (much to my horror) got knocked over, breaking off the spike. I noticed that there was new growth starting at the bottom (a little over an inch high), and that the medium was likewise broken down.  I took it to a local orchid dealer and asked if it could/should be repotted. She said yes, and offered to do it for me. I agreed, and asked if I could watch her and perhaps learn something. I soon regretted it: as she firmed down the potting medium around bottom of the plant, she crushed the new growth, shearing it off completely! My question is: will another growth start right away, or should I give up on the idea of a normal growth cycle starting? What should I do to help it heal? 4. The water in my house is extremely high in iron. I’ve been growing orchids for about a year without any drastic side effects that I could see….I do try every once in a while to flush them with distilled water, but for the most part the fertilizer gets mixed with the regular tap water. Does anyone know whether iron reacts with fertilizer in any way that would impair its effectiveness or cause harm? In case it matters, I use Dyna-Gro fertilizers. Please respond via email if possible….I don’t get in here as often as I would like! Many thanks in advance!

Response:

This is in response to nobile dendrobiums. These are magnificent plants, and should be in any collection if the right conditions can be met. If it is now in bloom, then now or soon, new growth will start, and that is the beginning of the growth cycle. Nobiles will tolerate lite frost, so they can go outside early( mine have been out since mid-April, Boston area). They should be in full sun ! They need lots of water, and as warm weather comes they will probably need water every day, and perhaps misted mid-day when hot.These are heavy feeders, but, and I repeat, they should not receive a high N fertilizer, regardless of the media they are in. Feed them 200ppmN/wk in a ratio of10-30-20, until the first of August, when all N is stopped; and feed 0-44-0, 1tsp/gal/wk until the first of Nov. At this time they should be brought back inside, not because of the temp, but because of the Fall rains, since they should now be dried off, with no water or fertilizer until they bloom (assuming in a greenhouse; if in a home, they may need an occassional misting of the foliage). They should be in as bright a spot as possible, inside, and the standard nobiles must have cool nites, below 50F, to bloom well.These bloom on two year old growth, so this years culture is important for bloom two years from now, and present culture will prepare and initiate bloom for the coming season. All dendrobes will make keikis, but when there are many keikis on nobiles it means they have either received too much N or not enough sunshine. If keikis do form, leave them on until the third year and remove them after blooming. They can be potted in anything, but a bark mix works well, and they should be as tight as possible. I have one which is now 18 yrs old, has in excess of 150 canes, and has never been truly repotted or divided- merely potted up as necessary. As they grow and enlarge, they need grooming twice a year- both for max exposure to the sun, and presentation of flowers( this is a whole different subject), although on small plants this is seldom needed. Good luck, and enjoy. Wilford Neptune.

Response:

<<It looks like Dendrobium Nobile is the type of outdoor orchids that I can use here in Concord, CA (Zone 9 USDA, Wet side of Zone 14 Sunset). Does anybody know where I can get one? I bought mine at Venamy Orchids in Brewster, NY. Unfortunately, last time I was there they had no more of them. My advice to you is to get ahold of a copy of _Orchids_, the journal of the AOS, and look for advertisements of dendrobium growers, or contact the AOS directly–they can be reached at (561) 585-8666.  Of course, there are also a number of growers on this newsgroup and on the Web (a search on the word "orchid" will yield much!). Good luck, and hope this helps! Felicia

Response:

It looks like Dendrobium Nobile is the type of outdoor orchids that I can use here in Concord, CA (Zone 9 USDA, Wet side of Zone 14 Sunset). Does anybody know where I can get one? TIA benny —                                              benny 510-682-1737 "The world is round . . . "

Response:

Benny: I have no idea whether a Den nobile type is what you want, but as for where to get one, I just saw several at the Payless in Oakland at Broadway/Pleasant Valley.  They had a couple on the out-of-bloom shelf, too. If there’s a big Payless out in Concord, check it out.  I have bought a couple of orchids (and other houseplants) from Payless and they are reasonably priced and did reasonably well.  (I.e. I don’t think they abuse their plants.)  However, they don’t usually have specific labels, if you care about _exactly_ what you’re getting.  Good luck. –Greta (Sunset Zone 17) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It looks like Dendrobium Nobile is the type of outdoor orchids that I   can use here in Concord, CA (Zone 9 USDA, Wet side of Zone 14 Sunset). Does anybody know where I can get one? TIA benny —                                              benny 510-682-1737 "The world is round . . . "

Response:

The premier grower and hybridizer is Yamamoto, in Hawaii. There are many other sources, but most, probably got them from him. Another good source is H & R , in Hawaii. You can find both in the ads in Orchids. Wilford

Response:

Filed under: Dendrobium Orchid

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