Dendrobrium phal hasn't bloomed in a year

[bonmonamie]

The fertilizer I used once was 30-10-10 and one of the ingredients it is derived from is urea.

The pot looks ceramic with one hole at the bottom for drainage.

The potting medium is bark mixed with some type of dried leaves/plants that are tan colored ? (I'm sorry I don't know what it is called).

The roots are white and I can see a few at the bottom when I remove the plant from the pot.

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by bonmonamie

The fertilizer I used once was 30-10-10 and one of the ingredients it is derived from is urea.

The pot looks ceramic with one hole at the bottom for drainage.

The potting medium is bark mixed with some type of dried leaves/plants that are tan colored ? (I'm sorry I don't know what it is called).

The roots are white and I can see a few at the bottom when I remove the plant from the pot.

One hole does not provide enough drainage for an orchid and glazed ceramic does not breath. The stuff mixed in with the bark might be sphagnum moss. Sphagnum has a tendency to get compacted and it holds water for a long period of time. This situation would suffocate/drown the roots.

It's probably that you and your brother need to repot your plants. You shouldn't need anything larger than a 4" orchid pot because Dendrobiums grow better when pot bound. Make sure to use a ventiliated pot designed for orchids. Lowe's and Home Depot carry terracotta orchid pots. They are designed with open slits in the sides in addition to the drainage hole in the bottom. There are plastic orchid pots on the market but they are difficult to obtain in emergency situations. You usually have to order them from an on-line vendor.

When you remove your orchid from it's pot you'll need to inspect the root system. The mushy dead roots need to be removed before repotting. It's important to leave the shriveled canes on your plant. They might look ugly but they will continue to supply energy for new growth.

Use a potting media that promotes drainage. Medium grade coconut husk chunks or bark, charcoal, and aerolite or pearlite works well for me. You should pre-soak the new media for several hours before using it.

Once the plant it repotted avoid watering it for a few days and gradually, gradually introduce it to increasing amounts of sunlight. Too much sun will burn the plant.

[RosieC]

While some Dendrobiums need a winter rest, the Phal types don't, therefore doing so will probably just stop it growing.

I agree with Junebug, that only one hole in a ceramic pot is probably not enough drainage and/or air for the roots. I think following her advice about repotting is a good idea.

I'm actually having a problem myself with a Den. Phal which has not flowered. But it has grown a new cane which has gone from nothing to 17" in the last 6 months, and I think you should have seen a lot more growth on yours than you have.

[Orchid126]

Give it light, light, light! Bright mid-day sun in a south window would be optimum. In the winter it should be right up against the glass with no curtain.
You are barely keeping your plant alive. No amount of fertilizer or water will help it improve. Give it light!

[Roly0217]

For what I can see in the picture it seems to be drowning on spaghnum moss. Please do take it out as they do not like to stay wet at all. They need to dry overnight or the roots will die and you might end up loosing the whole plant. A good medium for it is a mixture of bark and lava rock as it drains better than the spaghnum. The new canes are too young to put a spike yet but you might be able to see one in a couple of weeks maybe months depending on the overall health of the plant. As for now I would repot it out of the spaghnum mix, give it more light as they take really strong light and watch for new root development.

[bonmonamie]

I really appreciate all of your help! I am going to go to Lowe's today so stay tuned to see if I have anymore questions about repotting!

Thanks again!