Dendrobium not flowering

[peaty]

Hi,

I bought my first orchid about a year ago. I think it is a dendrobium (lots of pseudobulbs, delicate stems growing between leaves and small scented purple flowers). It flowered for about 2 months after purchase, but since then it hasn't flowered, although there has been a huge amount of growth both from new bulbs and the existing ones over the 10 months since it stopped flowering. Does anyone have any advice on how to encourage it to flower? Thankyou.

I also have a Phal that I bought last October which has been flowering for 9 months - the stem just grew and grew and more buds appeared, but sadly the last flower is just about to open. Does anyone have any advice on how I should care for it once the flowers all drop, in terms of cutting, repotting, watering etc? Thankyou very much.

[mayres]

If an orchid is doing well but not flowering my first guess would be it needs more light.
Sounds like you are doing something right if you have had your phal blooming for nine months. Very good! There are a multitude of great places on the internet to read about phal cultural needs including this site, aos.org, and a host of others. There are literally hundreds of online orchid vendors and many of them have cultural sheets too. If you have a specific question it might make it easier for someone to respond versus repeating lengthy verbiage covering all the issues. mike

For some dens, flowering is a seasonal thing. It may just be waiting for the right season. Also, you might consider backing off of nitrogen, as dens don't like a lot of nitrogen. They also like very tight shoes.

[peaty]

Thanks for the replies - very helpful!!

[jerrymeola]

You do not list where you are located. Your growing season has a lot to do with the orchids flowering seasons.

Dens will normally bloom only once a year. In a tropical climate like Hawaii or to a lesser degree the southern United States, there are varieties that can bloom year round. Most hobbyist should expect flowering only once a year in the spring to early summer. Here in SW Florida a Den that flowers year round only flowers twice for me.

Phals only bloom once a year and usually in late fall or early spring when there is a 20 degree drop in temperature from day to night temperatures.

It is great that a Phal can stay in flower for nine month, but the stress on the plant may mean, that they miss the next flowering season and skip a year. Commercial growers cut the flowers on any plants that are no longer sell-able so that the plant can recover.

Also October is not a normal time for Phals to flower. They are forced by being heated during the cool seasons to prevent flowering and chilled later when they are wanted for sale. This forcing can get the flower off its natural cycle and it may take extra time to get to a flowering cycle at your home.

Patience is what is required now.

[peaty]

Thanks for the great advice!

I'm located in Scotland, so all the orchids are kept indoors all year.

Would you advise, then, to cut the stem before the open flowers drop? In any case, given that it has flowered for as long, would it be best to cut the stem right down to the base, or under the spot where the first flower was? I have another 2 phals that have been in bloom for just over 6 months - should I allow them to flower as long as they wish, then cut them back, or should I cut them back after a certain period of flowering?

I also have another phal which has some roots at the top of the plastic clear pot that have wrinkled and turned grey. Is this normal or is there another reason? Any replies gratefully received!

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

The season for the Dendrobium will likely be shifted a bit do to a change of environment. Just be patient with that one, though it will need more light than a Phal, and this can have some consequences where blooming is concerned. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

As for the plant that has been flowering for so long, you must evaluate the plant to determine if the effort is not exhausting the plant. If you see any signs of decline, then cut the spike off and allow the plant a chance to recover. If the plant looks robust and has healthy leaves and roots, then it's purely your decision.