Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Cooktown Orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum).

More about phalaenopsis-type dendrobium

About Phalaenopsis-type Dendrobium

Dendrobium bigibbum · also called Cooktown Orchid · flowering

Dendrobium bigibbum, the Cooktown Orchid and floral emblem of Queensland, is the parent of the popular 'Phalaenopsis-type' (Den-Phal) hybrids sold as cut-flower-style orchids. Unlike D. nobile it is warm-growing and evergreen, flowering in autumn on tall arching sprays of rounded mauve-purple blooms. It wants bright light, warmth, a short drier winter, and a tight, fast-draining pot.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flower spike: Insufficient light or lack of a slightly cooler, drier winter rest. Give brighter light through the year and ease watering and feeding in winter to cue autumn flowering.

The reasons phalaenopsis-type dendrobium isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming phalaenopsis-type dendrobium 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 phalaenopsis-type dendrobium 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 phalaenopsis-type dendrobium to flower

Maximise sun. Give phalaenopsis-type dendrobium 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 phalaenopsis-type dendrobium and get the feeding right with the phalaenopsis-type dendrobium 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

Phalaenopsis-type Dendrobium 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 phalaenopsis-type dendrobium care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Phalaenopsis-type Dendrobium blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my phalaenopsis-type dendrobium flower?

Phalaenopsis-type Dendrobium 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 phalaenopsis-type dendrobium bloom?

Give phalaenopsis-type dendrobium 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 phalaenopsis-type dendrobium normally bloom?