Dendrobium spike with no buds

[JaynetLee]

My dad has a dendrobium compactum Carney. It started spiking in late July and now has a long spike, but there are no buds on it. What could be the root cause of something like that happening? Should he give it more time? Or should he cut off the spike and attend to some sort of need that the orchid has?

[Roberta]

Patience, patience. It can take a long time for the buds to develop on that long spike. It can take multiple months to mature!

[JaynetLee]

Thank you -- I will tell him to just chill out!

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by JaynetLee

Thank you -- I will tell him to just chill out!

Orchids don't do anything fast. Some are slower than others. Oncidiums are even worse - tease one for many months before showing signs of buds, and even longer to bloom. But the result is worth waiting for.