Den. Yellow Song 'Canary'

[articuno75]

Okay, This one's getting bigger and roots look good. Bottom leaves are starting to turn yellow.

Now I water this one on a regular basis. Should I cut back on the watering and fert now since it's showing signs of leaf drop?

[patticake]

Dens and I are just getting used to each other...I can say it looks good, though! I'll always remember the pillow fight, with this one!

[Leisurely]

Your plant looks like a Nobile type and it appears to have two in-mature, new growths.

The general opinion is to cease nitrogen fertilizer on Nobiles at the end of August. You should continue regular watering until mid October and then start tapering off. They require a chill to set buds.

[Leisurely]

I believe the new growths that I saw were on the plant in back. The advice though still remains the same.

Some of the new varieties of Nobiles do not require the chilling but unless you know what they are its best to chill them all in the fall.

[Sharyn]

Jenny: It's a nobile type den, so stop fertilizing now. As Leisurley stated, continue to water until mid-Oct and then start cutting back. I left my other nobile outside last year and it received plenty of chill (about 40F) for a month. I'll admit that there were a few nights when I played hop-scotch and brought it inside for fear of freezing. The bottom leaves turning yellow are normal.

This one will bloom on newer canes. This is my first year with this one. These Yamamato nobiles require some watering over the winter, just enough to keep the canes from shriveling.

Last year, my Oriental Smiles flowered, but I think I kept it too dry. I had a lot of bud blast. Hopefully, I'll get my watering right this year!

Here's Yamamoto's link. This is where Jerry gets his nobiles. General Care

[jerrymeola]

Yellow song is a Yamamoto Dendrobium.

They can be treated a little different from species Nobile.

Stopping nitrogen this month is correct. We accidentally fertilized many last year and they flowered fine, but do not take the risk and stop fertilizer. Excess nitrogen can cause the plant to grow keiki and no flowers.

Do not stop watering. You can cut back if you like but Yamamoto hybrids do not need to be stressed with lack of water. Mine get watered regularly with my Cattleya and Oncidium. They share the same areas of the shade house. Currently they are getting about 3 inches of rain a week and up to eight has been common this summer. Rains will be heavy until November and it has never harmed any of these Nobile.

I agree Sharyn that lack of water could have been the cause of losing buds. By the way Oriental smiles is a late bloomer usually not flowering until March early April.

They take very cold weather well. I have frozen them to 25 while in bud and they do not even drop the buds. Flowering is normally February after getting a month of 50 degree nights. Yet I had a Den Himezakura 'Sanokku' flower this week in 90-95 degree weather whereas Decmber is normal for it.

[articuno75]

Awesomeness. I guess I better kick this one out now so that it can get those temp drops that it needs.

Thanks guys.

[Sharyn]

Jerry: Thanks for the tips on the Yellow Song and Oriental Smiles. I'll definitely give them more water this winter than my other dens and I won't worry so much about the near freezing temps!

[jerrymeola]

The freezing of the plants was not intended last winter. We had a 25 degree night with 40-mph winds that ripped the plastic covering off the shade house.

With wind temperatures that high the effective temperature was probably much lower. The Cattleya leaves blackened and fell off. Oncidium and Phiaus flowers melted to nothing and the Nobile Dens sitting next to them ready to go to a show looked like nothing happened.

It was an expensive lessen but one I will not forget.

[Sharyn]

Well, I will definitely be bringing my dens into the foyer when the temps are near freezing. I know that you experienced some freezing, and if I remember correctly, you even posted pictures of a friends's nursery - orchids completely covered with ice crystals! I wouldn't intentionally leave my dens to those temps, but sometimes %&&## happens! I can't find the link right now, but others may be interested in seeing the ice covered orchids. I found it amazing that they recovered!

[articuno75]

Sharyn~ I remember that! Wasn't it Los Orchideas (sp?) and the Cymbidiums that they had that froze?

[articuno75]

Well all but two leaves fell off my plant. It looks pretty pathetic. BUT my Yellow Song Canary is doing "something". I see what either appears to be nubs or stubs. I'm hoping for blooms.

I brought it inside due to the chillier air so we'll see what happens.

[jerrymeola]

Flowers always develop exactly opposite the leaf never where the leaf falls off.

I almost said it was too early for flowers, but remembered you are in Indiana and it is cold up there.

If the plant had about a month of 50 degree or below at night, you may well have buds. Mine bloom in February. In Hawaii they move them to another location higher in the mountains for the cooler air to get early blooms. I will let you know Friday when my first Hawaiian shipment arrives if he sends me any in bloom. Usually he can find me a couple of dozen early bloomers out of the millions he raises.

[articuno75]

This little puppy had a little over a month's worth of 50 degree or so temps, and the stubby nub buttons are starting to form on the opposite sides.

[jerrymeola]

Those are definitely flower buds. They develop fast. Expect flowers in a couple of weeks.

[slippery_biscuit]

This one grows along side catts and oncidiums and with Jerry's, get about the same treatment. I've let the keiki get quite large and am still debating what to do with it. I'm kinda liking the way the roots have reached down like a mangrove tree (or is it a cypress? we don't have them here in the NW).

It did start blooming a month ago, but since it is in a heated and lighted greenhouse I have no idea what season it thinks it is in. WHile there are enough flowers to appreciate it is not as prolific a bloom as last year (purchased in bloom and bud). I'll try to make a note regarding the fertilizer and perhaps dry it out a bit more this winter.

Good luck with yours!

[articuno75]

Oooo. I hope mine looks as pretty as yours does.

[tizzycat]

I bought a den. at our O/S auction recently the label says: Den Nobilii.

I find all the advice in this thread very helpful, but am wondering where to move it to, to give it low night temps.

I have a conservatory, but have not tried any orchids in there yet at the temps between night and day during the Autumn and winter vary drastically. It has been down to about 8 deg. so far. Will have to try and find a cool spot for it.