Strange growth on phalaenopsis!

[nertel]

Hi! I was not able to get the photos to post with this message but they did show up in the gallery as phal 1+2.
My phal seems to keep growing lots of leaves and is now sending out roots between the leaves also like it is growing one plant on top of another. It has even more leaves and roots than when I took the photos. Should I leave it alone and let it do its own thing or cut the top off and replant it? Also will each section then get blooms? Some of the roots are now about 3" long and it has about 16 leaves. Any advice? Other than doing strange things it appears to be heathy!

[mayres]

Wow! That looks like one HEALTHY phal! From what the pics you have shared look like I'd think you just let it keep going. How old a plant is that? It is hard to see from the pics a "2nd" plant. It looks like an extension of the original. If the current state of the plant is even more pronounced you might post another pic?

[Daniel S. Barrett]

what kind of fertitlizer are you using? how often & what strength? it may be too much nitrogen, or also growing some orchids in an enriched atmosphere of CO2 like near a furnace, gas stove, or fireplace, can make your plants grow much faster, & go all out in "plant production", like puttting out new leaves, flowers, roots, & kikis all at the same time! I CO2 enrich the atmosphere in my growing room, under grow lights, & my plants grow like crazy!

[LLW]

I'm gonna second Mike's WOW! I am no expert, but I have been growing Phals for 20 years or so and that just looks like a very happy Phal. I don't think I would do anything to it. I had an older one get almost that big and it blessed me with three bloom spikes at once, so this one may give you a show too.
Lashelle

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

http://www.orchidgeeks.com/gallery/s....php?i=861&c=2
This looks like it is a hybrid of Phalaenopsis with a taller growing Vandaceous plant. It will be interesting to see the flower when it blooms. If you post in the gallery, copy the address of the opened picture and paste here like I have done, so that we can see the picture easily.

[nertel]

To answer some questions, I have it outside on my lanai so it should be getting only fresh Florida air. I do keep my phalaenopsis close to the house so they do not get to much sun. I use orchid fertilizer from Sun Bulb Co. or Dynagrow liquid fertilizer depending on which ever I happen to pick up. I will try to figure out how to get some better pictures.

[nertel]

OK Here is my next try on the picture thing. It still would not let me put the picture in the reply even when I did cut and paste. I tried to get a photo that shows what the roots are doing and why it looks to me that it is growing one plant on top of the other. I know it it is kinda hard to see. I put two root photos in the gallery. Thanks for everyones comments. Sorry about the picture thing !

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I see that your plant has a proper tag. Could you post the name on the tag. I am particularly interested in the abreviations for the genus names. Your plant looks like it definitely has some Vanda in it. You know that monopodials basically growup ward. Phals grow upward very slowly, but Vandas can grow upward fairly fast. Now, when a Vanda gets too tall, it is the common practice to cut the top off and pot it up, but only if it will have enough roots on the top cutting. Cuttings without roots can be set back, but this is also done, it is just not recommended. So, if your plant is a hybrid with upward chacteristics, it may be an acceptable practice to cut it off at some point and pot it up, leaving the lower portion to start some keikes and thereby you can sometimes get more plants if keikes are produced, but sometimes you just lose the lower part of the plant. But, the real question is if the plant needs all those leaves to produce flowers. You don't want to set the plant back each time you cut it and never get any flowers.

[GreenThumb]

Does that picture of the roots show a forked root? I've never seen that before and didn't know Phal's could do that. I see you fertilize but have you ever applied growth hormone or something like that. Looks like one very happy plant.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I have a forked root on a Vandaceous plant.

[jerrymeola]

There are three descriptions at the lower portion of the orchid. This is after you get the full size i.image to display.

The first is a hyperlink like Cynthia posted in her reply. This is a straight cut and paste and should not be giving you any problem. After you paste it, it appears in your message before you post the message so if it was there it should have made it to the post.

The second is a direct link to the photo for the software used by this bulletin board. If you cut and paste that code it photo appears in the post itself.



The third is for posting in a text message on a bulletin board that uses different software.

[Willc73]

Do not cut off the top of your Phal, you will kill it. Phals grow from the center and damage to that will kill a phal.
Your phal doesn't have Vanda in it. It is just a mature phal. When grown in the correct environments, phals grow quickly and fairly large. Below is a picture of one of mine, P. Brother Oxford. This plant is 4 years old from flask. A large part of Phal growth is Genetics. Most of the grocery store phals are aneuploids which will usually render them sterile and slow growers. They are grown in high speed growth setups but once taken home, it can take years for good growth to happen.
I don't think the picture is going to show up. So here is a link to it.
http://web.mac.com/billrcahill/iWeb/Site/Library.html

[mayres]

Willc73 - clicking on your link gives a "we're sorry......" message - no pic.

[Willc73]

sorry,
hate doing this.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Will, how do you know this plant does not have any Vandaceous ancesters in it? I have yet to see Nertel give us the name. I have heard of a successful cross of a Phal and a Vandopsis, and I think there are a few others out there. I don't know yet how wide spread such crossbreeding is, but I would not be surprised to see a lot of such plants coming up.

[Willc73]

Precisely for that reason. There are not many out there. Such novelty type of breeding will take some time to come up with viable offspring.
His Phal has all the characteristics of a phal, and I can't see any Vanda in there. It is very common for Phals to like like that. It is much more likely he got his hands on a quality phal that is a tetraploid. This is also probably a cross of P. Gigantea which has very long leaves. I just don't want the poor guy to go and cut off the top of his plant and kill it.

[prisana]

Hi.. if you can divide a monopodial like Vandas, why can't the same be done with Phals? I'm totally confused..I'm almost possitive that I've read somewhere that it can be divided that way..oops..

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I'm sure they can be, with that plant of Will's being a prime candidate. But again, you take the chance of nixing flowers for a while. Those aerial roots aren't used to being in a potting mix, and will have to adapt. Sometimes they just outright die when you put them into a more moist environment.

[Willc73]

You can cut the top off of a mature phal. The top with its arial roots can grow. The bottom may Keiki, however if not, the bottom will die. Phals are not like Vandas. For instance. If you have a phal and it develops a terminal spike. That is a spike that comes from the center, then the plant will have to produce a keiki to survive.
Terminal spikes are rare but can happen to any Phal.
I have over 200 phals and a terminal spike happened once 4 years ago.
Bill

[mayres]

I have a phal that is spiking from the center right now - it is currently about 5 inches long. I will be very interested to see how the process continues......mike