Thanks to the hybridizes they have been able to produced some selected clones of species and hybrids that have been hybridized for people who cannot cultivate the cold growing nobiles in their homes/greenhouses. In November I have beautiful flowers appearing on some of my nobiles. As the days shorten many of my nobiles will produce flowers in the fall with out giving them the very cold temperatures. I keep my greenhouse in around 16°c during the night and I do reduce the water during the winter. D. findleyanum ‘Sailor Boy’ blooms in November for me. This species grows in the mountains of Burma and Thailand.
Dendrobium nobile is one of the relatively few orchid species, which is rich in alkaloids and is used in traditional Chinese medicine, in the "Chin Shih Hu" herbal tea cooked from its dried stems. The extract has tonic and antipyretic effects. This species contains over a dozen alkaloids and the first alkaloide from any orchid species (called nobiline), was isolated from D. nobile by Japanese scientists, in 1932. With this "first" D. nobile played an important role in orchid alkaloide research.
Some of the cool growing nobile types worth growing are D. wardianum, which is native to the mountains of Assam, Burma and Thailand and D. falconeri a close relative. D. gratiosissimum, D.lituiflorum and D. transparens all feature very fragrant flowers. The general rule as you pick and choose your Dendrobium is the size of the “canes/stems.” The thinner the stems are the more difficult it is to provide the proper dry, cold rest period for them. Remember if you get it wrong they will not bloom for you.
You should follow these basic rules when growing orchids that require a dry rest and cool period.
1: Cold and dry- November, December, January and February 2: Warm and dry- slowly increase moisture and temperatures March, April and May.
3: Warm and wet- June, July and August keep the plants warm and wet do not allow them to dry out.
4: Cooler but still warm- temperatures and moisture should decrease in September and October.
If you follow these simply rules your “winter orchids” should bloom every year for you. The main thing in growing these types of orchids is the hardest. FORGET THEM!! Don’t pamper them and worry over them like an old mother chicken with her chicks. If you pick up the watering can or raise the thermostat just once can interrupt old mother natures sleep and your orchids will not bloom. Be firm and you will be rewarded.
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