Flowering time and flower quality of three nobile dendrobium hybrids in relation to vernalization duration and light intensity during vernalization were studied in the first experiment. Mature Dendrobium Red Emperor 'Prince', Dendrobium Sea Mary 'Snow King', and Dendrobium Love Memory 'Fizz' were cooled at 10 degrees C with 300 to 350 mol·m–2·s–1 photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) (12-h photoperiod) or darkness, each with four cooling durations (2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks). Plants were forced in a greenhouse after vernalization. At least 4 weeks of 10 degrees C cooling in light was needed for flower initiation of Red Emperor 'Prince'; whereas Sea Mary 'Snow King' and Love Memory 'Fizz' only needed 2 weeks of 10 degrees C cooling regardless of light. Darkness during vernalization slightly delayed flowering and resulted in fewer but larger flowers. Longer cooling duration delayed flowering, decreased the flower longevity, and produced larger and more flowers. In the second experiment, Love Memory 'Fizz' were cooled at 15 degrees C for 4 weeks with PPF of 0, 50, 100, or 200 mol·m–2·s–1 (12-h photoperiod). Compared to 200 mol·m–2·s–1, low PPF of 50 or 100 mol·m–2·s–1 did not affect flowering time or flower quality; however, darkness delayed flowering and reduced flower quality. The third experiment was aimed at developing a strategy to defer flowering of nobile dendrobium orchids by holding them under low temperature. Mature Den. Red Emperor 'Prince' and Den. Sea Mary 'Snow King' were held at 10 degrees C for various durations (0, 4, 8, 12 or 16 weeks) after vernalization (4 weeks at 10 degrees C). Plants were forced in a greenhouse after holding. Time to flowering, flower differentiation and flower quality were determined. Increase of low temperature holding duration from 0 to 16 weeks extended time to flowering up to 3 months and did not affect parameters of flower except producing larger flowers and reducing flower number per flowering node for Den. Red Emperor 'Prince'. Notably, the flower longevity was not adversely affected. Defoliation was aggravated in Den. Red Emperor 'Prince' by longer duration of cooling and was considered a detrimental effect of low temperature holding.

Studies of Dendrobium Sea Mary ‘Snow King’ investigated the effect of nutrient termination (1 Aug., 1 Sept., or 1 Oct.) and reapplication [at the beginning, in the middle, immediately after, or 2 weeks after (relative to cooling), or no nutrient reapplication] on growth and flowering, quantified cooling requirements (10, 13, 15, or 18 °C for 2 to 6 weeks) for flowering, and determined optimum nutrient termination (on the three above dates) and nutrient rate (0.33, 0.67, or 1.33 g•L-1 15N-2.3P-12.9K) for producing single-node cuttings. Regardless of reapplication stages, nutrient termination on 1 Oct. caused taller plants with more nodes, more leaves, more flowering nodes, more total flowers, and fewer aborted flowers than those being terminated earlier. Only buds protruding above 2 mm from pseudobulb surface showed differentiated floral structures. Plants with 1 Aug. nutrient termination had larger flower primordia than those with 1 Oct., indicating flower differentiated earlier or faster with an earlier nutrient termination. No reversion of reproductive to vegetative buds arose due to either late nutrient termination or resumption of nutrients during cooling. Interactions between temperature and cooling duration were significant on time required for anthesis and full flowering, recorded from either beginning or completion of cooling, average flower number per flowering node, and flower diameter. Increasing cooling duration from 2 to 6 weeks led plants to reach anthesis and full flowering faster after cooling; however, the increasing cooling duration actually extended total time for producing flowering crops. Increasing temperature from 10 to 15 °C accelerated flowering after cooling. Plants had more flowering nodes and total flowers when cooled at 10 to 15 °C than at 18 °C. The results suggest that 3 weeks of cooling at 13 or 15 °C produce quality flowering plants that require less time to reach flowering. Plants fertilized at 0.67 or 1.33 g•L-1 were taller with 18% more nodes and more leaves than those receiving 0.33 g•L-1. Increasing nutrient rate with prolonged supply to the plants caused more single-node cuttings to grow into vegetative shoots for propagation, fewer cuttings to transition to flowering nodes, and less flower abortion to occur.