Is this Normal ? A Kiekis ?

[jhy1]

March this year I purchased this little Phals, after the flower were done I cut the stem off. He never put out a new leaf but put out a spike right in the middle of the plant, then two very small leaves growing on the spike, one on top of the spike, the other in the mid section. Is this normal for Phals growing leaves on the spike ? It all happened around May. The plant did not grow at all from May till Sept.

Early Oct. some new grow started right below the second leaf, Is that a Keiki ? (see photo #1)

Second photo is a Dendrobium I divided this March. I was not plan on dividing them but durning the re potting, the plant just separated by himself, end up I had three small dendrobiums. This one put out a spike couple weeks ago. What is this ? Is this a flower spike ?


Jim

[Joan]

That looks like a flower spike in the second photo. Congratulations.

[mayres]

Bad and good news on your first photo. A flower spike in the crown of a phal means the crown is DEAD. The good news is that your spike is setting on a keiki, so you can eventually cut it off the parent plant when it grows roots long enough and start an exact duplicate of the parent - hopefully you are patient - it will be approximately two years from where you are right now till your developing keiki is large enough to flower on its own if all goes well. Yep, I agree with joan on pic #2 - flower spike!

[sandra]

Originally Posted by mayres

Bad and good news on your first photo. A flower spike in the crown of a phal means the crown is DEAD.

Mike, what causes the crown to suddenly? spontaneously? or just for no reason? give up and die? It's not from crown rot and it's not necessarily bad roots, is it?

[jhy1]

Thnaks All !!! I will patiently waiting for him flower again.

Great question Sandra, I'm wondering about that too.

Jim

[mayres]

Sandra - I'm certan there IS a good reason - I have a theory about why the spikes in the center of the crown happen. At this point it is ONLY a theory. If I ever hear anything to the contrary I will post. I believe that when the new leaf is just forming, before you even know it is coming (as in very very tiny) it gets killed by pest (or I suppose some disease could do it as well). It is the same net effect as crown rot, but just is not obvious because the last leaf that is removed was so young/small. I have had mealies from time to time and I believe THEY are the culprits in my case. They suck the life out of the tiny leaf that you had not even seen yet and the plant then stalls out.........Those little buggers are REALLY ANNOYING! I keep thinking I have them totally eliminated and then they show up in one single place. Don't know if it is the ants bringing them in (Lord knows I always have plenty of them!) or I just loose my vigilence before I have them 100% removed from ALL my collection? The worm tea helps with them too - but again continued vigilence.......