Dendrobium doesn't bloom - Orchid Board

onlymemyselfandi · #1 01-26-2009, 05:01 AM

Hi all! About a year ago i bought this dendrobium orchid for my mum's birthday. It was in blooming period when i bought it. After it finished blooming i didnt know i had to cut off the spike. I just found out i had to when i found this forum few weeks ago and i cut it. Do you know if this dendrobium will keep on blooming now or i ruined it?

Is there anything i can do to make it bloom again? It seems to be healthy by the way, the leaves it had since last year are still there and green. Here are some pics of it:

Thanks a lot in advance!

Roy · #2 01-26-2009, 07:36 AM

The cutting or not cutting a spike off doesn't mean a thing unless the plant is tiny and straining. The spikes aren't removed from the plant in the wild, they remain there. Your plant unfortunately looks to be Unhealthy. There doesn't appear to be any new growth and the canes look a little dehydrated. I would suggest the roots are very poor and maybe this Dend' is growing a bit too cold for its liking. I notice you seem to have repotted &/or cut some of the old canes off, is this correct?

jkhom · #3 01-26-2009, 11:37 AM

I would agree with Roy. Dens usually like it on the hotter side, 70 degrees minimum. They also like to have their roots compact so it should be potted in the smallest pot possible. Let dry before watering.

onlymemyselfandi · #4 01-26-2009, 03:32 PM

First of all thank you for your replies! I appreciate it. I haven't repotted or cut off any old canes from the plant. All i'm doing since last year that i bought it is watering it every once per week (every 7-10 days). Is that not often? Do i have to water it more often? I had it nearby a window where it might would be little bit cold, now i moved it to another window where there's a heater nearby, dunno if that's better though or worse. Shall i move it to some other place? What would you suggest on doing and how to take care of it best?

Becky15349 · #5 01-26-2009, 04:12 PM

Your dend looks like it was too wet or too cold.....this may be because the roots were not drying out quickly enough after watering, or because its nearby an uninsulated window. IMHO, this plant is severly set back, and in the event that you did get it to recover, it would be years before it bloomed again. My advice is to start with a fresh plant, and follow these guidelines:

1. Watering: 1x a week in winter, more frequently in summer if there is more sun/heat
2. Air circulation: Keep a small fan moving the air around the orchid, this helps it to dry out quicker and prevent rot.
3. Sun: east or west window; south if you absolutely must, but the plant must be slowly acclimated to a south window over 6-8 weeks so that it does not burn.
4. Feeding: Feed 3 times, then plain water the 4th week. repeat.
5. Humidity: morning misting is nice; humidity should be maintained between 50-75% daily.
6. Temp: >65% at all times

Hope that helps! I don't want you to waste your time with a plant that will take years to recover, when you could start over with a new plant, build confidence and learn the correct techniques starting today.

If you have additional questions, feel free to PM me

~B

onlymemyselfandi · #6 01-27-2009, 05:18 PM

Most prolly cold i'll guess since it was nearby a window. I just cant give up on it yet! I'm thinking of getting a new one though as well as you suggested and start over, but i'll also give it a shot with this current one! May i ask what you mean by "feeding"? And around what quantity of water should i use to water it each time? I really dont know much about plants! Thank you very much for your help, i will try following your advice step by step!

quiltergal · #7 01-27-2009, 10:34 PM

Does your Den have a name? That would really help narrow down it's culture requirements. Not all Dens like to be grown warm, some need a winter rest. It just depends on the parentage.

onlymemyselfandi · #8 01-28-2009, 07:01 AM

I really dont know what is its name, on the label it has it just says "Dendrobium" and its of Fransen Orchids (Cameleon Orchidee), i tried looking for my plant on that site but didn't find it. Its flowers were pink with white spots i think..i dont know if that shows around what kind it might be x.x

Roy · #9 01-28-2009, 08:38 AM

Just looking at the website for the nursery you bought the plant & I would think that names of plants are the last thing they worry about. They appear to be just bulk sellers of plants in flower.

rogerman · #10 01-28-2009, 09:36 AM

These excerpts come from that website:-

Reblooming
After flowering, cut away the faded spike entirely. This stem will not produce another spike. The plant produces one or two new shoots every year; when these are mature, they can flower again. In the spring (April-June), place the Dendrobium orchid in a place where it will receive maximum sunlight, but NOT in direct sun! This maximises the chance of having the new shoot start to flower.

Because orchids grow very slowly, they need little fertiliser. If this water is discharged onto the soil or into surface water, it will contain minimum quantities of minerals and nutrients. So any discharge of this water will not harm the environment.

There is no real information given on the website about care for the plants...... They are more concerned about damage to rain forests etc

Open up for discussion.