The flowers look like this. They are slowly dying on a spike from another cane that was in bloom when I purchased it in November I think.

Nevermind the aphid - he's looking for my pepper plants. Hopefully the ladybugs will find him before he decides to take munch of the orchid!

You have a Dendrobium orchid and congratulations you have a spike coming a spike can come from the very top between the two leaves or from the side like your. You should not remove any of the canes ( the growth that the bloom comes from) because dendrobiums blooms from both old and new canes. ONLY remove a cane that is dead brown and dried. Congratulations again. Velleta

Yay!
Another question - I was planning on repotting it once all the blooms dropped off since it is still in it's spagh and soil mix from the store. Should I now wait until the spike grows and blooms or is it safe to repot while the spike is forming?

Don't replant an orchid that is spiking or blooming.

Don't re pot unless the plant is threatened and the plant is more important than the flower. Sphagnum may cause rot from too much water. If that has started you may want to repot. Otherwise let it bloom and repot later.

When you repot get rid of as much moss that is easy. You can cause problems if too aggressive. The new potting medium will overweight bits of sphagnum. Soak it in water for 30 mins. and rinse with a shower setting on the hose nozzle. Not too much pressure....

Since I water once a week, I'm assuming there isn't too much rot from the sphag yet. Or would it not show signs of rot only having it for 3 months? Should I water less frequently knowing I can't repot anytime soon? Flowers lasted 2 months, so I won't be able to repot for at least another 3 months if not longer!

I'm going against the others and would repot. I only grow my very small dendoriums plugs in sphagnum moss. When they go into a 2 inch pot I move over to my bark mix. I rather lose a spike than a plant but only you can decide for yourself.

Ok. The spike is growing slowly and I haven't repotted. AND! There's another spike emerging from the cane that had flowers when it was purchased in November. Those flowers have since died and I've cut the old spike. So...definitely don't repot? I don't even see any roots as it's in some sort of soil mix. I'm thrilled it's doing so well and of course nervous I'll inadvertently kill it by not repotting. Thoughts?

Some dendrobs just don't stop blooming - we have 2 (Emma White and Salaya Blue) that are constantly in bloom. As a result they haven't been repotted in years and are now both terribly potbound - so the time is near when we will have no choice, flowers or no flowers. The best time to repot is in the Spring, when new growth is starting. I think I would leave well enough alone and let your guy sit for now. Just be very careful with watering: mos retains water for a long time - you could probably cut back and water once every two weeks without stressing your plant.

ncdude is right. Repot when you see new root growth. Don't repot now. You have a happy plant!

Jane

Great. I'll just sit tight and enjoy it until I see new roots! Thanks everyone!

I need to update. This plant is currently flowering from 2 spikes in 2 different canes. I have just noticed the emergence of another spike from one of the canes that is currently in bloom. I have not seen any new roots or canes grow and it's still in a peat moss/sphag medium from when I purchased it.

At what point do I repot regardless of spikes/blooms? Or do it just let it go in this medium until it slows down on spikes? I've never seen this before, so I'm a bit thrown...

If it were mine, I'd leave well enough alone. Your plant is happy. Why 'rock the boat.'

Jane

Orcids are tough old birds........You have a couple of posts earlier that say repot if necessary but wait for new root growth. I'm with that.

So long as the plant is healthy with no apparent root problems, I personally would let it be. If you think you need to repot, wait until you see new roots just emerging from a new cane. Don't let them get too long, for that will make it easier to damage them in the repotting process. Don't divide the plant if it is blooming and you want to reduce the shock of transplant. Just take it out of the pot, clean what you can off the old roots (dead canes, roots, moss, etc.) and slip it gently into a new pot with new mix. Set the plant in the pot where the new emerging roots are just barely above the top of the mix, so they can grow into the mix quickly, anchor it securely with rhizome clips or something to keep the new root tips from being damaged by a wobbly plant as they grow into the new mix.

Oh, by the way.....always repot with wet mix, and do not water the plant for a week or so after repotting. This gives the damaged old roots a chance to dry and heal before introducing water. It also creates a thirsty plant, and that encourages new root growth.

Especially with a Dendrobium, I doubt that a gentle repot will cause any bloom problems.

My take.

Bill