Phal with 2 spikes

[MimiCH]

Hello,
Okay, my phal has now produced 2 spikes, one has good buds and a strong looking spike....the second spike is half the size, diameter and height and only has a little nubbin on top, both appeared at the same time...is this second spike any good for itself and the plant?
This is the second time my phal has spiked, one began in June, this one in late November...it is the one in my avatar.
Thanks folks for helping this still newbie!
MimiCH

[lmartiny]

Personally, I'd let the second spike grow/bloom too. What the heck. Especially if your plant is healthy.

[jerrymeola]

It is common to have different heights and growth rates on the same plant. I would not be concerned. Enjoy the flowers.

[Hummer344]

Gee whizzz, wish I had your problem. LOL. I can only get one spike at a time on my phals.

[CulpableCaptive]

I have two yellow Phals that I think are miniatures of some sort because the leaf spread is never greater than 10 or 12 inches (my other Phals have a leaf spread of 26 inches). Anyhoo, my two yellows spike as you describe. One of them will get two spikes initiated at the same time but one spike will grow slower than the other. By the time blooming has ended, both spikes have set beautiful buds and flowers. If I get ONE spike on either of these Phals the spike ends up branching before the buds open.
I would let it be. Your 'Phal Pal' sounds happy and healthy if it is sending you two spikes. Enjoy! It's throwing you a party .
If you lived where I do - I feel indebted to any of my orchids which are trying to flower for me at this time of year. With two spikes I humbly bow as I approach .

[Stelios]

Hello everybody, this is my first post so i guess i will remain in the newbie section for a few days. I wanted to ask a similar question...
I started caring for orchids 11 months ago when i got a Phalenopsis as a gift (nowdays i have a few more plants). My phal was in bloom when gifted to me and had 3 leaves. Last week i noticed that my plant appeard to bloom. I am attaching a couple of photos of the plant. My question and kind request for advice is...
a) is the plant indeed blooming ? (it looks different from younf leaves and it had 5 new last months)
b) is it natural to have 3 flowers ?(a friend told me a 2nd is already too much)
c) is my plant in jeoparty of not getting enough nutrients during bloom, should i fertilize? (i haven't so far)

thank you in advance for your help

[jerrymeola]

Those may be flower spikes but they also could be new roots. You will know in a couple of weeks.

You should fertilize evenly year round with a balanaced fertilizer.

[phalaephila]

Welcome, Stelios:

Your plant looks very healthy! To me it looks like you might have two new flowering spikes and one new root (lowest new growth on the right), though for me the photo is a bit fuzzy. If your plant has grown four or five leaves since you received it, there is plenty of energy to support two spikes. Let them grow! You probably should fertilize if you can, but feed it weakly - more is not better. Enjoy, and share photos when the flowers bloom.

[Stelios]

Thank you jerrymeola and phalaephila,
i am very excited as it is the first time that one of my orchids is possibly blooming.
I went upstairs and took a new photo (it looks there are 4 spikes now, i guess more roots?), if not too much of a trouble, i would really apreciate your insight.
Thanks in advance

[lmartiny]

The lower ones I thing are definately roots. They will stay smooth tipped. If a spike it will begin to look bumpy at the tip. Sorry for the "scientific" description.

[phalaephila]

Your photo shows two spikes (one each above a leaf on either side); below the leaves are new roots. Notice how the spikes are pointier, working their way up, and the roots come out very round, and will hopefully go downward towards the medium. You can cut down the old brown spike closer to the plant if you'd like.

[digitalgate]

Originally Posted by Stelios

Thank you jerrymeola and phalaephila,
i am very excited as it is the first time that one of my orchids is possibly blooming.
I went upstairs and took a new photo (it looks there are 4 spikes now, i guess more roots?), if not too much of a trouble, i would really apreciate your insight.
Thanks in advance

look like all roots to me.

[Tarad]

Mimi... I would leave the second spike one should be so lucky I have phals with three spikes right now. One big one the other two are smaller. They may get smaller blooms but as longer as the plant is healthy you will be fine enjoy it while you can

Stelios...keep us posted, even the latest pic is hard to tell if you have spikes or roots, if I had to guess I would go with the upper are spikes but not sure yet. Tara

[norris]

Stelios, I also think the two above the leaves are spikes, and the lower two are roots.

[Stelios]

thank you all for your comments.
I have a new photo update attached. I think that now it's more possible that 2 spikes are available, i too think the lower ones are roots.

[Tarad]

Yep looks like you have spikes! Tara

[PhalPal]

It looks like two spikes and two roots to me. Good job!!!

[kmarch]

You're right Stelios, the two pointing up are spikes, the two pointing down are roots.

There is a way you can tell early on the difference between roots and spikes. Look where they are coming from. Notice that the spikes are both coming from leaf axils or leaf crotches while the roots are coming from the "front" or the side of the crown near the base.

[Stelios]

I am very happy! I was not sure from the start. When the Phal was gifted to me, last year, was in bloom with a single spike and as the flowers fell it gone brown over night. So as soon as fellow members commented on the photos i started to lose heart, then i desided to repot my plant for the first time (between 2nd and 3rd photo update). I think it responded well as i noticed the spikes growing at a higher rate. As the plant preffered to have a 45degree tilt possition than be upright, when i repoted it i made sure to allow it keep the possition.

I will post a new photo every now and then, i hope nothing goes wrong. I will however need some help on the proper time to provide support on the spike (never done this before)

[violetta]

Wow 5 new leaves and 2 flower spikes in just 11 months, amazing!

[Stelios]

new photos of the growing spikes

[Stelios]

i'm back in town! i missed my plants this past week. My phal grew a lot, i think it did it to welcome me back :P

[lmartiny]

We'll be watching for your flowers.

[Stelios]

I have left my phal maintain her 45 degrees possition it developed since it looks like it likes it that way. Should i worry that the spikes are also developing almost horizontal? Should i provide them support in order to grow upwards or let it choose how it will grow?

[Stelios]

i gave one of them support and left the other on it's own. Here how it looks like now.
If you see on the upper spike you can see the deformed spike i thought was a keiki.

[kmarch]

The spikes are progressing well!

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by kmarch

The spikes are progressing well!

thank you kevin.
A couple of weeks ago the lowest on spike bud on the uper spike (maybe you can see the empty spot) have been blasted. I worried that maybe the rest would also follow suit but thankfully only that one got affected. We had 3 days of rain and temperature drop so i blame the rain for that lost bud.

[Stelios]

first one is now fully open

[Sharyn]

Very nice! Glad you are enjoying your first blooms.

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by Sharyn

Very nice! Glad you are enjoying your first blooms.

Thank you! But it's third time it blooms for me, it's my first Orchid and i have it a bit more than 2 years.

[Sharyn]

That's even better! Shows that you have used good culture getting them to rebloom.

[fred]

very nice bloom Stelios
good growing
hmmm a contender for the photo comp I think

[dorothea]

really nice shade of purplish pink! good job with the third rebloom!

[tansyflower]

Congrats on the new flowers.

I like seeing how flowers form from stat to finish. I have a phal growing a secondary spike but haven't had one long enough to spike on it's own.

[Stelios]

thanks guys, i'll make sure i'll update as soon as more buds will open.

[hulaorchid]

Yeah! Beautiful!
Wow, did that take long or what! lol

[Stelios]

lol yes first signs of spikes started late January and the first bud opened yesterday. I had one bud blasted but the rest remained unaffected. I have a photo of the moment it started inflating the petals/sepals.

[Stelios]

here comes a small update

[dorothea]

really beautiful!

[PhalPal]

What a beautiful plant Stelios!!! Good job!

[Stelios]

thank you Dorothea* and PhalPal, this is my first Orchid ever and i have to admit it is my favorite plant of my collection. It might be a NOID but i find it very beautiful.

*Dorothea i see you are from Croatia, is it possible you have Greek roots? The name means "God's gift" in Greek.

[dorothea]

actually, my name is Dora, but it is so short I use the "longer" version . actually, Dora is a very common name in Croatia

[dorothea]

I already knew what it means, I studied Old Greek in high school

[Stelios]

oh i see,

[Stelios]

only one bud left unopened but the first flower is almost spent.