Stop fertilizing Nobile-type Dendrobiums

[jerrymeola]

This is my annual reminder that you should stop all fertilizer on Nobile Dendrobiums for the next six months or they will not flower this year.

You can reduce water but do not stop watering altogether.

[Anton]

As our seasons are opposite to yours Jerry, which season do you stop fertilizing up North ?

[kmarch]

Anton it is currently late summer headed into autumn in the northern hemisphere.

Here my soft canes (nobile-types) are in bud and i've just started watering them lightlly again. As soon as new growth appears in another month or 2 I'll start watering regularly and may even give them a shot of fertilizer (although you may remember that i dont' fertilize much). Avoid the slow release fertilizers like Osmocote for these guys.

[Anton]

Does this include kingies ?

[kmarch]

I'd say yes. I fertilized them last summer when they were growing, stopped in autumn. I kept mine watered in the wnter though but no fert. They bloomed well this year. i'll probably give them a shot of fert when I see new growth.

[Anton]

I have had 3 flowers from my kingies so far.

A lot of keikis, but no flowers.

[Joan]

What are kingies?

[Tess1]

they are not queenies

[robb]

can someone please clarify if phals are nobile dendrobiums please? i believe phals are in the dendrobium family (class, order, genus?) but all the back and forth between common names and scientific confuses me.

thank you in advance

[Anton]

Kingies are Dendrobium kingianums, an Ozzie native.
Let me know if you haven't seen any and I'll direct you to some I have posted.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by robb

can someone please clarify if phals are nobile dendrobiums please?

They are not. Phals (Phalaenopsis) are a completely different genus from Dendrobium. Nobile-type Dendrobiums (also sometimes called soft-cane Dendrobiums) are a particular kind of Dendrobium, usually hybrids bred using the species Dendrobium nobile.

Originally Posted by robb

i believe phals are in the dendrobium family (class, order, genus?) but all the back and forth between common names and scientific confuses me.

You might be confusing the genus Phalaenopsis with Phalaenopsis-type Dendrobiums. Phal-type Dendrobiums, are a particular type of Dendrobium, usually hybrids bred using the species Dendrobium phalaenopsis, and/or Dendrobium biggibum. But they are Dendrobiums.

The terms "nobile-type" or "phal-type" Dendrobium are not really common names. They're just used to describe a particular kind of Dendrobium (there are also New Guinea Dendrobiums, and antelope Dendrobiums). "Moth Orchid" for Phalaenopsis is an example of a common name. I agree the use of common names is very confusing. One common nme may apply to many different orchids (as in the case of "Dancing Lady" orchids, "Greenhoods," or "Slipper Orchid") or many different names may apply to the same orchid. For this reason I only use the scientific and horticultural names for orchids and strongly encourage everyone else to do the same. Using scientific and horticultural names always mean we know exactly what plant we're talking about.

[jerrymeola]

I think Robb meant Den-Phals (hybrids of Dendrobium Phalaenopsis)

No DenPhals are the most common Dendrobiums but they are not Nobile. You can recognize Nobile easily because the flowers grow directly from the canes not from a flower stem.



search on Nobile in the orchid gallery and you will see a lot of different types

[jerrymeola]

Anton I have to start remembering that half the world is six months different from us Northerners.

It is the weather not the time of year that should control fertilizer and that puts us six months different from you.

So for Aussies stop fertilizer in February when ours are just starting to bloom.

[Anton]

Thanks jerry, duly noted.

[Gladys47]

I only have 2. I just got my worm tea. Can I still spray with the tea or just water only. These are small Red Emps. but Iexpect big enough tobloom when it comes time. Nobiles realy confuse me;-) Gladys

[Tobi]

Good point Gladys about the worm tea. I was going to ask Jerry the same
question about whether to stop using the worm tea on Nobiles during this
time

[janet_a]

thx for the heads up jerry; i got a keiki of one of these and am clueless about it.

i was going to lay off the worm tea too...

[elitebettas]

This apply to hard caned dendrobiums too?

[adespo]

I am in South Florida zone ten. It seems that its too hot out here to stop watering. Is the reminder for this area since we really don't cool off till about November?