Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Dendrobium loddigesii bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Loddiges' Dendrobium (Dendrobium loddigesii).

More about dendrobium loddigesii

About Dendrobium loddigesii

Dendrobium loddigesii · also called Loddiges' Dendrobium · flowering

A compact, miniature deciduous Dendrobium from southern China and Southeast Asia with slender, often pendulous canes. In spring each node bears a charming lilac-pink flower with a fringed orange-and-white lip. Unlike warm Phalaenopsis types it needs a cool, dry winter rest to bloom well — classic nobile-style culture on a small scale.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No spring flowers: Almost always a missing winter rest. The plant needs a cool, bright, dry period after leaf-drop in autumn-winter; kept warm and watered, it makes keikis instead of flowers.

The reasons dendrobium loddigesii isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming dendrobium loddigesii traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding dendrobium loddigesii a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get dendrobium loddigesii to flower

Maximise sun. Give dendrobium loddigesii the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for dendrobium loddigesii and get the feeding right with the dendrobium loddigesii fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Dendrobium loddigesii flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full dendrobium loddigesii care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Dendrobium loddigesii blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my dendrobium loddigesii flower?

Dendrobium loddigesii blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make dendrobium loddigesii bloom?

Give dendrobium loddigesii the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does dendrobium loddigesii normally bloom?