new to orchids

[tanyap]

I am rather new to orchids. I believe I have a phal. When I purchased it appeared to need to be repotted. When I repotted, I was able to divide the plants, so now I have two. My question is both plants had two flower spikes each. One plant lost one flower spike. How do I know if my orchid is putting out another flower spike instead of new roots? Both plants are doing very well. The one in question is budding again on the reamaining spike and new leaves are coming almost biweekly.

[PhalPal]

tanyap - Welcome to the forum!! By the sound of your description I don't think you have a phal. Phals have between 2-8 leaves, thick and broad. They only grow a few leaves per season, not as quickly as you stated on your plant. It would also be quite unusual for you to have two - two spike phals in one pot. Growers just don't pot that way; they would sell them individually. Pictures help greatly!!

[arleneg]

Hi Tanya,

Welcome to the forum.

I agree with Phalpal about your orchid not a phal. It sounds more like a Dendrobium (the phal. type). However, before we go any further with answering your questions, please post pics when you have a chance.

[jbigio]

Welcome. I don’t think your plant is a Phal or a Dendrobium they seldom send out second spikes when one dies or is lost. The loss of the spike may be from the plant being stressed after being divided. The only way to actual help would be to see pictures. Before that it’s all guess work.

[tanyap]

here are the pictures of the orchids in question.

[mayres]

Good job! Those are phals alright. Usually when you find more than one of these in a pot the "extra" has just been added by the grower to "clean" his greenhouse of unwanted stock - as his goal is to get an entire batch to flower at once for sale. Getting two of these with spikes in the same pot is RARE indeed. I can easily see why everyone jumped to the conclusion that maybe you had some other genera of orchid. It sounds like you are doing well with your phals. New spikes are easy to recognize once you have seen a few versus aerial roots. The roots are more conical in shape and often grow straight out initially while the spikes are usually greener and blunt - at the VERY beginning it is more difficult to tell, but it will be obvious fairly soon. Roots are thicker than spikes. Spikes USUALLY have a time of year/season that they generally appear versus roots year round. Enjoy your phals! They look nice and healthy. mike

[jerrymeola]

PhalPal

It goes to show that anything you believe is subject to change. Is is common for commercial growers to pot two Phals in a pot in Florida. They seem to sell much better. The surprising thing is that a pot with two Phals costs more (wholesale) than two individual potted plants.

Phals are so common and cheap in Florida that growers have to do something to sell them.

[pikevi]

Welcome to the forum, tanyap.

Very healthy looking plant(s)

[PhalPal]

You are so right Jerry, never knowing it all is what I like best about this hobby. I have purchased phals that had two plants in one pot, but never so lucky to get four spikes in one pot!!
tanyap - are you sure you are getting new leaves bi-weekly????

[jerrymeola]

To have four spikes in the pot probably means it did not sell last year and seasoned over an extra year in the nursery.

One extra year does so much for all orchids.

I guess it is time for my annual 'What a Difference a Year Makes' photos. some of the changes in a year are fantastic.

I have been raising this den for two yars and last year had only one flower - one flower not one stem

What a difference a year makes





And Fragrant too.

[robb]

Originally Posted by PhalPal

You are so right Jerry, never knowing it all is what I like best about this hobby. I have purchased phals that had two plants in one pot, but never so lucky to get four spikes in one pot!!

phalpal: several of the 18 phals i rescued from home depot had 3 spikes (cut, since the flowers had long since died off), most had 2 spikes (more than had 1 spike).

jerry: that is a fantastic picture! hard to imagine that plant with only one flower! congrats!

[PhalPal]

Jerry that's amazing! Such a delicate and beautiful flower. Gives me new hope for my baby cyms for next year.

[Tobi]

Jerry,
That is absoutely gorgeous. I'm only hoping my Phal type Dens. bloom as
spectacular as yours. Good growing!!

[pikevi]

It is stunning, jerrymeola.

I am yearning to have a beauty like that. I hope my wish will come true sometime in the future.

Nice photos too.

[jerrymeola]

Since you liked that example here is another change in one year

This is typical of about ten I had of this plant. The tulip shape on the flower is not uncommon on first bloom Cattleya.



I sold only about half the plants, the flower was not that impressive. Then the next season ALL remaining plants flowered like this. They were gone as soon as someone saw each.

[pikevi]

Absolute beauties, jerrymeola.

[snowballsarebad]

Wow, jerry what a difference in those Potinaras! I never knew that could happen.

[PhalPal]

What a gorgeous Catt Jerry!! I had no idea subsequent bloomings could be so different. You guys are slowly converting me and I will pick up my FIRST mini catt at a show in two weeks.

BTW Jerry- do you have any more of those for sale??????? It could be my first!

[Tobi]

Beautiful Jerry. Not that I needed it, but it just re-enforces my love for mini
Catts!!

[tanyap]

Phal Pal,

I guess I was a little misleading on new leaves. Every few weeks a new leave appears to be growing on one or the other plant. Time flies for me, so I may not be correct on the timing, but they have been putting out more leaves now than ever before.