Hi everyone

I know this is quite a basic question but I am still confused. After coming back from a couple of weeks off, my nobile has sprouted new growth. I have kept it dry all through winter and it hasn't flowered...yet....its not showing any signs of doing so either. So, here's the dilemma - do I now start watering and feeding the active growth? Or do I leave it until the plant flowers?

Any advice would be appreciated

Hello

I would wait and see. if the pseudobulbs start to shrivel excesively (or canes is the name for long ones) I would start to slowly introduce water. mine tends to start its growth after the rest but when it did in it it stopped growing untill there was water for it to do so.
You will probably loose the flowers for this year i am afraid. I did with mine and ended up with keikis.

mine is in cool conditions, as low as 2 Degrees C. with luck this will stop any growths starting before its flowered.

Hope this helps
F2F

THanks for the info F2F, I think I will just sit back and see what happens because I am follwing all of your growing advice..ie cool temps, etc.

Phil

Just to add to the confusion which none of us wants as we all like nice, easy black & white solutions to problems.
When we speak of nobiles, I think we're mostly talking about the Supermarket nobile hybrids as opposed to the species aren't we?, if so, here are 4 "nobiles", all but one photos taken yesterday, each one treated exactly the same but with totally different results. I have noticed that with flowers you get new canes from the base at the same time but with kei-keis, no basal growth. (Text comments attached to photos)

Hello

I am on about a proper nobile (i think) I got it from a flower shop with a proper tag in the pot saying the name and the temp range it likes. I can't remember which nursery it was though, i have since lost the tag

Nice dendrobiums stevek. if mine flowers anything like yours have i will be very happy (ignoring the last one )

I would hate to try to remember which one mine looks the most simlar to, if any

Happy orchid growing
F2F

Steve a great set of pics showing some very nice plants. The white one looks great and I do also like the large flowered one.

Unlike Stevek who keeps his warm, I have kept mine cool and pretty dry this autumn (and will only now start to up the watering slightly) and STILL I have flowers and buds right now! As Stevek suggests, I suspect the majority of nobiles we buy are indeed hybrids. I would imagine we would need to specify when ordering that we want a species one.

Thanks for the comments guys, (except for you F2F for laughing at my dendro )................

The photos weren't particularly to "show them off" but more to illustrate how different the hybrids can react.
I think the colour variation confirms they are not true nobiles but a nobile and whatever, and the whatever could be a cross from a warmer climate which gives them this warm adaptation.
Natural crosses I guess would occur in the wild but I assume the pollinators would all be from the same local area and climate, pollinating cold winterers with cold winterers, not travelling across continents which in fact is what we do when taking a cold nobile and crossing it with a warm growers.
I'm confused, so I'm not surprised the plants are.
If that is "Sparkle" Silver, it looks even better in close up, very delicate!
(I think my Photo 2 is the nearest colouring to a true nobile)

stevek

Yes, Steve, it is 'Winter Sparkle'. Although I know it has a lovely delicate scent, that is not present at the moment. Perhaps that only develops when the temperature is right for its pollinators?

Hello

they do show the range and variation in dens really well. I hope the bumps on the cane to mine turn in to flowers so we can compare them. (hence why i hope my one flowers like your 3 in flower)

I am sure that mine had medium sized flowers with a pink splash in the centre. I am sure that somewere i have a pic.

happy orchid growing
F2F