Accelerated Spike?

[pikevi]

Just under a month ago I bought some orchids that were on 'fire-sale'

I brought them home when it was really cold outside but I repotted them right away and discarded all the old media.

There was a colmonara sp. in that batch and I am sure there was no spike when I brought it home. I have ,in the meantime,watered (full baths) it twice , I think , and I have sprayed it almost every other day.

I may have missed the new spike while spraying but last Tuesday I did give it a good bath and it is not possible that I missed a new growth in whatever form on the plant. Today when I looked at it I was surprised to find a long spike that has come out.

Is it possible for a spike to grow that fast or am I not that observant ,as I think I am, and missed it altogether for almost week? ( I had it in an indoor plastic greenhouse)

I was trying to nurture it back to health but it rewarded me with new spike

(I hope it is a spike)

Can anyone confirm it,please?

Thanks.

A photo is attached.

[fred]

yep pikevi that sure is a flower spike

that just goes to show you how good that you can grow orchids

congrats

[pikevi]

Thanks fred.

It appears to be weak and frail.The plant itself is weak.

I hope it does not zap the energy of the plant .

It seems like I am going to have a beautiful bunch of dark red flowers

[DDS2007]

it is a flowerspike , indeed

it must love you very much to throw u a flower spike while not feeling very well , how lucky you are

[flowerchild]

Pikevi, I got a colomnara wildcat "leopard" from an orchid society meeting in march, the fellow was getting out of orchids because he just built a new house and it didn't have the right light for orchids, it too has rewarded me with a spike, I can't wait for the flowers to open!!!!!! You should come to a meeting in Kitchener sometime, they are the last monday night of the month, this month they are doing an orchid auction, I can' t wait, it means new orchids for me yahoo!!!!!!!!

[pikevi]

Thanks DDS2007.

I give as much care to animals and plants as I do to humans. My friends in psychiatry may have a clinical label for it, but I'd not care.

Anthropomorphism, may be.

I sometimes feel the feelings are reciprocal amongst plants, animals and humans

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by pikevi

Is it possible for a spike to grow that fast or am I not that observant, as I think I am, and missed it altogether for almost week?

Well, once they put their mind to it, flower spikes can grow suprisingly fast. Back in February I had a Paph insigne start to spike. It came up about an inch then did nothing for about a month. Just about the time I had given up on it and assumed it would blast, it started growing fast and about another month later the bud started to open. So they can move quickly when they're ready to.

Enjoy the flowers and maybe post a pic of them when they open.

[kmarch]

Hey pikevi,

I thought of you this morning and your feeling about not being observant. I started my morning watering and found that my Masd. triangularis has 2 (!!) buds on it. Not just starting, but up about 2.5 inches with buds on the ends. And this plant is right at the front of the shelf, in plain sight, visible every time I walk by.

Me blind as a bat ==>

[pikevi]

kmarch: That is a relief!!!

Masdevallia s are nice too. I am hoping to buy some of them before the end of this summer. I will have to find some room for the new ones. I snapped another leaf (Phal.) in half today

I am really very interested in the growth and well being of the plants. This spike at almost 25 cms really threw me off

The spike is very thin and delicate. I hope it does put forth at lest one flower. I checked the 'net and it seems like a beautiful flower(s).

flowerchild: This one is a Colmonara Wildcat 'bobcat'. Mine is expected to be a dark red flower. we will compare the colours when both bloom.
Kitchner is just over 100km . So I would not mind a trip to buy good healthy plants

[kmarch]

FYI A little while ago one of the Miltonia species used to make Colmanara Wildcat was reclassified by the RHS and is now in the genus Oncidium. This has resulted in a name change for Colmanara Wildcat which is now officially Odontocidium Wildcat. Follow the two links given below for more information on the name changes approved by the RHS, and a thread on this forum that talks about name changes in general and about the Colmanara name change specifically (about half way down the thread).

RHS approved name changes
Forum thread discussing name change

[pikevi]

Thanks, kmarch

I do remember seeing that name on the 'net. I thought Colmonara IS the new name . I Will change the name on my list.