Is this the start of a new flower spike?

[MrSarge]

I had purchased my first and only orchid about a year ago from a store. Shortly after getting it home the flowers fell off and the bottom leaf fell off.
Also when I picked up the plant the top leaf had black near the crown probably due to improper water or the commercial environment.

So I start reading.

I decided to cut the spike off at the base of the plant. I'm not in any hurry to see flowers and from what I had read mentioned that by doing this it allows the plant to store up energy for its next flower cycle.

I'm not sure how many days it has been but for quite a few months I would say 6-8 months from cutting the spike off I am just now seeing what appears to be the start of a new spike.

It's been repotted into a larger pot with a different type of medium (bark) and I have been watering it as needed with an orchid food that states urea free. 20-10-20. Mix a little weaker than what the instructions stated. I also give the leaves some misting in the early mornings to maintain some humidity in them.

Is this what I think it is????

It looks like the start of a root to me. New emerging spikes look like they have "mittens" at the tip, sort of pointy and flat, whereas new roots are more rounded, like a dull pencil.

[MrSarge]

Awe, man! Ohh well, I guess new roots is a good sign of doing something right.

This is the info: Phal Maki Watanabe 'Japan'

[janet_a]

probably root. here are some comparisons:

root on small phal:




root on large phal:



spike on a tiny phal:




spike on a large phal:




(oops sorry they aren't that big on my web page...)

[MrSarge]

Awesome Janet! That's exactly what I was looking for some photos.

Its just another root.

[retiredbikelady]

Great photos!!! Thanks Janet. Now I know what that is poking out of my Phal. Not what I had hoped, but a new root is a good thing.

[jerrymeola]

Janet that was a very well answered question

[janet_a]

(fortunately, the roots above have all turned into--roots. and the spikes are still spikes. whew! )

[princessk]

thanks for the pictures. ever since i moved i've been taking care of my phal and it's produced 2 things that i thought might be spikes...but now i'm realizing that they are probably roots. they have this white covering on them, does that only happen to roots? does anyone know what the white coloring is?

[snowballsarebad]

yep, those would be roots. I believe the white covering is called velamen. It helps the roots absorb water, and it may change colors (turn a bit green) when you water.

[BillC]

Hi Janet, I have just logged in to ask about my small Phal producing a flower spike because since I cut the last spike close to the crown it has grown three pairs of new leaves and a seventh is on the way. It has also produced four new roots and a new root bud is just showing. At least I now know what a spike bud will will look like, thanks to your pics. But if you have any ideas as to why it should produce so many leaves and roots I would be most obliged for a reply. Best regards, Bill

[janet_a]

...somewhere on here is a thread about fertilizer--something about very high nitrogen (?) promoting leaf growth over blooming? what are you fertilizing it with? although it sounds pretty happy....

-reads other post-

hmm, fert weekly? it may just be growing like nuts because you're feeding it a lot.

do you periodically flush the pot with plain water to clear out any accumulations of salts and things from the fertilizer?

[jerrymeola]

High nitrogen fertilizers will induce leaf growth. The 30-10-10 fertilizers called orchids fertilizers in many stores should be replaced by a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer.

I also do not like the bloom boost fertilizers like 8-35-18. They are both unbalanced. But a trick if you have some you want to use up is to mix both in water to balance the moisture (always mix in water never try to combine powders and stir it does not work.) About a half teaspoon of each in a gallon of water will give you a much better balance. All fertilizers can be mixed.

Phals also need a cool period to set buds. They need a drop in temperature from day to night of about 20 degrees. Phals grown indoors sometimes do not get enough of temperature change. This is a good month in many parts of the country to place the plants outside and cool them.

[janet_a]

yeah, i usually mix the schultz and jack's orchid special 50-50, unless i'm being lazy and just using the liquid houseplant fertilizer.

[BillC]

Thanks for the all the replies to my growth query. Yes, my fertiliser is 30-10-10 and yes, I have flushed the plant with with water. And today I believe I have seen a new spike; identified with Janet's pics. Got my fingers crossed!! Jerry, I would like to move to a 20-20-20 fert. but should I look for one designed for orchids or will any 20-20-20 do? Bill
I

[BillC]

Thanks for the all the replies to my growth query. Yes, my fertiliser is 30-10-10 and yes, I have flushed the plant with with water. And today I believe I have seen a new spike; identified with Janet's pics. Got my fingers crossed!! Jerry, I would like to move to a 20-20-20 fert. but should I look for one designed for orchids or will any 20-20-20 do? Bill
I

[BillC]

Thanks for the all the replies to my growth query. Yes, my fertiliser is 30-10-10 and yes, I have flushed the plant with with water. And today I believe I have seen a new spike; identified with Janet's pics. Got my fingers crossed!! Jerry, I would like to move to a 20-20-20 fert. but should I look for one designed for orchids or will any 20-20-20 do? Bill
I

[BillC]

Yes, my fertiliser is 30-10-10 and yes, I have flushed the plant with with water. And today I believe I have seen a new spike; identified with Janet's pics. Got my fingers crossed!! Jerry, I would like to move to a 20-20-20 fert. but should I look for one designed for orchids or will any 20-20-20 do? Bill
I

[KevInKauai]

I am lucky to live on the garden isle of Kauai here in Hawaii and started with orchids about 4 or 5 years ago, when I started living here full time. At first, I just bought blooming orchids at our local Wal-Mart (there is a local supplier who delivers partially or full blooming blanks in the price range of $8.97 to $17.97 each Tuesday and Friday) and then I would pass the non-blooming plant on to friends.

However, a visiting friend taught me a "method" for encouraging re-blooming that seems to be working here:

1. Twice a week, I bring the current (blooming) house orchids to my kitchen sink where I have prepared a mixture of powder fertliizer (12-24-24) and enough water in a small pail so that I can drop the plant (in the original Wal-Mart plastic container) into it;
2. I leave it immersed for 15 to 20 minutes and then lift out to allow the excess water mixture to drain back into the pail and set in another area of the sink to more fully drain
3. While I load and unload each plant, I also spray the two "in progress" with plain water over the entire bloom and growing area.
4. Because the various areas where I place the blooming plants around my "little grass shack" vary in terms of light (strength and duration) I try to select an area (most of which are out of direct or prolonged sunlight) that seems appropriate for the stage of the bloomer.

When a plant has finished blooming, I place it outside on one of the decks which is partially sunny/shady where they get some natural rain but drain without impairment. As a by-product of the dowsing described above, I distribute the "used" fertilizer water among the "recovering" plants. At this point, I probably have 30 to 40 in what I call this "orchide rescuisitation area" and about once every 2 weeks one of the "babies" will throw a new spike. Then the buds are about to begin opening, I bring it in to join the inside bunch.

I realize that I live in a somewhat unique and favorable tropical enviroment, but I am curious as to whether the general approach that I am using (which is mostly improvised after this initial "tip") should be improved and/or altered for better results.

Any/all comments and suggestions greatly appreciated.

KevInKauai

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

It is important that you do not soak a plant in 'used' water if it has any open wounds, say from recent repotting or pruning. Open wounds are where virus transmision takes place. Other than open wounds, I would not worry too much, unless you have some very stressed plants. Stressed plants are susceptible to bacteria and fungus, but the usual environment is pretty well filled with these organisms anyway, tho maybe less so in your environment, so I am not sure you are making matters much worse by reusing water. Something to think about. Seems like you are watering pretty often, but if it works for you, don't change. I think tho, that if you are using nearly full strength fertilizer that you are using twice a week, you may be pushing the fertilzer just a little too much, but again, if you are not seeing signs of leaf burn, it is probably OK. If you are growing in bark, the fertilizer you are using is too low in nitrogen (first number), as the break down of the bark uses up nitrogen, so balance (like 20,20,20) or a little more nitrogen would be better. Cynthia