Anyone getting fall phal spiking yet?

[mehitabel]

Are we there yet? It's the end of August, and nights have been cool many places. Anyone getting fall spikes on their phals yet? I find myself getting impatient. All those big, fat, honking phals and getting all that light and weeks of nights 65 or below and no spikes yet? Time to get on with it! !!!

I've gotten some spikes in August, but not strictly "fall" spikes. More like summer-bloomer spikes. Doritis, Purple Surprise (bellina x sanderiana), In Charm Jade, Hannover Passion and Yin's green Jewel.

Please share if you've gotten any.

[kid a]

None for me yet Hopefully something will happen soon, I have never rebloomed a phal lol.

[Stelios]

Well i have one on my Phal amboinensis since february Phalaenopsis amboinensis but last couple of weeks it finally grew an additional inch it is now touching the rim of the pot (you can check the photos on the thread to get a picture of how slow the process is since february).

On a noid yellow Phal both spent spikes start to form buds at their end and on the base of the plant there is a srange growth forming. i first noticed it last Sunday but with the fires and all I forgot to mention or check it again. Now that i see it closely (stands on the coffe table next to my laptop) it is very thick in comparisson with the spikes i had so far. I'll post a photo tomorrow so more experienced members could check it put and share their insight.

Althou not a phal... i have a spike coming on an oncidium.

[Stelios]

Well i have one on my Phal amboinensis since february Phalaenopsis amboinensis but last couple of weeks it finally grew an additional inch it is now touching the rim of the pot (you can check the photos on the thread to get a picture of how slow the process is since february).

On a noid yellow Phal both spent spikes start to form buds at their end and on the base of the plant there is a srange growth forming. i first noticed it last Sunday but with the fires and all I forgot to mention or check it again. Now that i see it closely (stands on the coffe table next to my laptop) it is very thick in comparisson with the spikes i had so far. I'll post a photo tomorrow so more experienced members could check it put and share their insight.

Althou not a phal... i have a spike coming on an oncidium.

[psyc1210]

do you have a pic of your Purple Surprise? I'd love to see it! I have a small seedling of Purple Surprise, and am hoping maybe this year it will bloom for me

[trinigirl]

I don't have any fall spikes, I'm not anywhere near getting any.

Cooler nights? That's a distant memory for me here in Houston. I am still enjoying nice leaf growth and nice roots on my phals.

[mehitabel]

Psyc1210: The spike on the Purple Surprise is only about 3" long, just formed. I was sooo excited to find it. I've been watching it all summer hoping for something. I'll definitely let you know what it looks like when it opens. Mine was a little seedling a year ago, a bonus from Big Leaf. I babied it all winter, and then it took off this spring.

Stelios: Is it possible that it's a basal keiki? I think those are fatter. Plus, Oncidium spikes count

Trini: Sorry, I forgot you guys are getting all the heat. We've had an unsaseonally cool July and August. I think last night was the last 70F night we will have this year.

Kid: Once of these days you'll be astonished to find one. They can't hold out forever.

[englandfx]

One of my phal has grown a spike at the current moment. It is about one feet long or so..

That same phal is also one of my saddest looking >_<
The leaves on it are dark, droopy, and wrinkly.

The last time I saw it was about 5 weeks ago, and when I came back home, I saw it with a spike lol...
But the leaves are sure not how it was before I left! =(

[PhalNewbie89]

No luck with a spike but it is quite warm here still. I am getting very impatient about the leaf growing in though :P

[bellina9]

I have a phal equiruis that blooms every fall with out fail... I think its going to be a good fall for this guy!!

[Brooke]

JoBeth here is a group shot of the first few Purple Surprise I bloomed out. They are almost identical with just minor variations. I thought since they were from seed, the flask would be a little more interesting to grow out - it actually was quite boring.



Yes I have spikes starting on my fall/winter bloomers. I even have a spike on a schilleriana which I consider a spring bloomer

Brooke

[patticake]

My house temps don't fluctuate much yet. No Phal spikes for me yet...

[psyc1210]

Brooke, those are really lovely. Do all of your Purple Surprise have the same leaf color? I really love the leaf color of the one you sent me. Also, tell my schilleriana to bloom for me this year.

[lmartiny]

No Phal spikes here but we are not even close to any cool nights.

[psyc1210]

The only recent spike I've found is on my Phal Lovely Kid, and according to it's parents, it should be spring blooming.

[Ochin@]

Originally Posted by lmartiny

No Phal spikes here but we are not even close to any cool nights.

lmartiny, you beat me at it, I was gonna say just that!
No spikes here either!

[brit6v]

ME..I AM! MY FIRST PHAL SPIKE! I CAN HARDLY WAIT. WANNA SEE IT? HERE'S A PIC. IT'S A NOID, BUT THAT'S OK..I'M JUST HAPPY THAT I HAVE A SPIKE!
VICKI

Originally Posted by mehitabel

Are we there yet? It's the end of August, and nights have been cool many places. Anyone getting fall spikes on their phals yet? I find myself getting impatient. All those big, fat, honking phals and getting all that light and weeks of nights 65 or below and no spikes yet? Time to get on with it! !!!

I've gotten some spikes in August, but not strictly "fall" spikes. More like summer-bloomer spikes. Doritis, Purple Surprise (bellina x sanderiana), In Charm Jade, Hannover Passion and Yin's green Jewel.

Please share if you've gotten any.

[brit6v]

Oops....i forgot the picture. I guess i was too excited typing about it. :d

Originally Posted by brit6v

me..i am! my first phal spike! I can hardly wait. Wanna see it? Here's a pic. :d it's a noid, but that's ok..i'm just happy that i have a spike!
Vicki

[PhalNewbie89]

I am now, I just recieved a new phal and it is in bud, unfortunately it was mailed ot my parent's house so i don't have pics yet but I will soon :P

[mehitabel]

Brit6V-- that is a *gorgeously* healthy plant. Good growing!
And a gorgeous spike to boot!

Phalnewbie, I'd love to see those pics when you get them

[brit6v]

THANK YOU!!

By the way, I meant to reply to you a couple of minutes ago, but for some reason it didn't post. Maybe I hit the wrong hit....instead of "submit" ?? I've been known to make posting errors (I know that surprises you, but it's true, I'm afraid so this might be another one of them)

Anyway, thanks again mehitabel..
Vicki

Originally Posted by mehitabel

Brit6V-- that is a *gorgeously* healthy plant. Good growing!
And a gorgeous spike to boot!

Phalnewbie, I'd love to see those pics when you get them

[Brooke]

JoBeth I would say 90% have the same leaf color but a couple have been a solid green.

Brooke

[lissie0113]

still HOT here but i noticed yesterday the beginning of my very first phal spike/rebloom! i am so excited. this is the first phal i ever purchased and it has been happy and putting out fat green roots for about a year and a half now..... and it finally cracked! i cant wait ;o)

good luck everyone!

[Zsophia]

I am so jelous. I am growing the orchids outside in S. FL and the Phals don't like it. The heat and the sun... They are in shade but stil... I do not expect them to bloom any time soon. None of them are doing very well But I have spike on a Den and on a Vanda!!!
Wanna see pictures of pretty Phals!

[Breezy79]

yes, one of mine that has been in bloom since May (still blooming and forming new buds) has a new spike about 2 inches long, kind of early for it to spike, but we have had much cooler weather than normal. Another with a 4 inch spike that should not be spiking yet, and one winter bloomer with a spike over a foot long (normal spike time) ( i admit I bought this one in spike)

[PhalNewbie89]

I will post pics as soon as possible. I just messaged my brother earlier and asked him to post some pics for me since I wont get to see it for a week

[CharliesAngel51]

Still too hot here. Our nights are only dropping down to about 70. Since my orchids are all inside and the temps are staying up out side it is only getting down to about 75 inside. I can't wait for this hot weather to be gone. It was over 100 today.

[lmartiny]

Sophia, are you sure your Phals are in enough shade?

[orchidlover55]

I have a new spike on my Den can we count them too Mehitabel? I do have a keiki on my phal and it is growing like crazy. Oh!! and on one of my phals I have six new buds on a spike that had already bloomed one time this year and it is blooming again. That is my second one to do that in the last two weeks.

[mehitabel]

LOL, orchidlover. Yes, we definitely count dends Also old spikes putting out new flowers.

Zsophia, I think lmartiny may be right-- how much "heat and sun" are your phals actually getting? Mine are outside on the deck, and on a 90F day, they definitely need shade by 9AM.

[Zsophia]

Originally Posted by lmartiny

Sophia, are you sure your Phals are in enough shade?

They are now, but at the early summer I put them out to the sun and I burnt them. - That was before I couldn't make any difference between Phal and Den
So they are still struggling and I have not purchased an other one ever since. Now they are in all day full shade and they are doing better, but I am not expecting miracles. How do you care for them? I see you are in FL, so the conditions are similar. What medium are you using? How often do you fertilize them? Do you use fungicide, if yes what? Sorry for all this questions, I would love to have a real big and healthy one, but I am so afraid since that experience. Thanks Imartiny!

[cowgirl]

I keep checking my Phals for spikes - up to five times a day - I think I'm getting paranoid. Only growing new leaves and roots up till now.

The evenings are getting cool down to the low 60's so hopefully not to much longer.

[PhalPal]

Vicki - That is one happy-happy phal!!! I love the roots on him - great growing!!!! It is so fun waiting to see your first flower; it's just too exciting. You are definately doing something right!

I have seven spikes on an outdoor Cymbidium!!! Woo-Hoo!!!! I was shocked to see them so early because fall doesn't really happen for us until October or so. I'm especially surprised since it has been brutally hot the past few weeks. It does get cool in the evenings for us in summer so I guess this guy took the hint and started before all the others. Right now he is a 'Cym Lost Tag' so we will see what I get when one of the blooms opens.

I love fall!!!! It's coming!!!!!

[PhalNewbie89]

So I still won't get to see my beautiful new phal until this weekend but my mom was nice enought o send me some pics this morning..Here are the best ones she sent to me.

[PhalNewbie89]

Will definately have more pics as soon as I get to see her.

[Sharyn]

My Phal Mini Mark and Phal Fancy Musick are starting to spike. The rest of the phals should start up pretty soon.

Nothing on the dens yet, except my Oriental Smiles, which just bloomed again this month.

[tangers40]

STILL nothing on any of my phals (waiting rather impatiently lol) but i still have the Den Hollywood in bloom. most of the newest in my collection are catts so i'll have to wait till next summer to see those....i hope.

[psyc1210]

Originally Posted by Sharyn

My Phal Mini Mark and Phal Fancy Musick are starting to spike. The rest of the phals should start up pretty soon.

Nothing on the dens yet, except my Oriental Smiles, which just bloomed again this month.

Sharyn, does your Mini Mark usually spike this time of year? My two Mini Marks usually spike when it gets further into winter, and both bloom during the month of March it seems.

[dorothea]

no spikes yet, but we had almost 90 degrees F for a whole month, last three mornings it is around 59 so I'm hoping for at least two or three (out of almost thirty phals)

[mehitabel]

The nights have been way too cold to leave phals out overnight here, but I have been leaving them out til the temp gets to 60, then rolling them inside. Outside in the day time for as much sun as they can take.

I *think* I have a tiny spike nub on two-- but they are still too small to be definite, not a root, tho.

[vcuchick]

I have one spike going on a NOID Phal...plant itself looks horrid, but the spike is growing gang busters! (already 5 inches in 2 weeks!)

[fred]

this thread is really exciting
its great to hear about all the spikes coming on

[Sharyn]

Originally Posted by psyc1210

Sharyn, does your Mini Mark usually spike this time of year? My two Mini Marks usually spike when it gets further into winter, and both bloom during the month of March it seems.

JoBeth: Mine usually blooms in the Spring or sometimes later, May-June; however, it has flowered more than once. This year has been a strange year for my orchids. I have some blooming now that have never bloomed before Feb or March and some are now starting spikes way earlier than ever. Go figure? I'm going to attribute it to our unseasonally cool summer.

[mehitabel]

Bumping this up in hopes someone else has some spikes coming. I am now counting three: all are still tiny nubs, but definitely not roots.

[syndywindy]

I've been moaning and groaing about everyone's cym's spiking or blooming. I found a small nub yesterday and hoping it's a spike. All the new roots are white and the nub is green, so I'm hoping.It's still very small, what do you all think?

[syndywindy]

oop's forgot the picutres. My bad.

[mehitabel]

As I recall, cymbs have thready white roots, so my guess is it's a spike. Good growing

[cowgirl]

I have a nub on my Phal - hopefully its a spike but I can't tell yet.

[lance]

congrats to all that have spikes!

[lmartiny]

Nancy, nice purple color on your new Phal. Nice of your Mom to send over a photo.

Sophia, I grow my Phals. outside in shade, under oak trees. A few in the patio in shade as well. I use bark mix in clay orchid pots or wooden baskets. I've got some mounted on wood pieces as well. Those are the hardest to keep hydrated. I really don't fertilize regularly and I've been needing to mix up some fungicide for a couple of weeks now. The heat and rain is rough but doesn't hurt the Phals like some others.

[lmartiny]

No Phal spikes but have a couple of Dens., a couple of Catt types, warm growing Cym and a couple of Hwra. with buds. A couple should pop any day now.

[mehitabel]

I was repotting some algae-loaded pots this morning and found three tiny spike nubs. So it looks like the cooler weather is having an effect. With the cooler weather, they are getting a lot more sun, so sun/cool is perfectly confounded. Sun for fewer hours, but much less shade needed during the day.

Days right now are app 83, nights 60-62

Spike nubs so far in Sept:

Borders Gold
Fortune Beauty
I-Hsin Tango
Orchid World 'Joe'
Pure Moon
Taipei Gold

Lots to go, tho.

[lmartiny]

Be sure to show us photos.

[trinigirl]

I don't have any new phal spikes yet. Our nights are starting to cool off though, we have had some nights in the mid 70s.

I do still have some flowering summer phal spikes- cornu cervi, 2 bellina, 4 hybrids- a Salu Spot, a noid red one, a noid that looks like Baldans Kaliedoscope, and a noid white.

Hoping for some new phal spikes soon!

[exasperatus2002]

I have a Phal who never lost its spike from the previous owner. It had given me one bud from a subspike. Now that subspike has branched and I'll be getting another bud.

[orchidlover55]

I found another spike on one of my Phal's this morning , I am so happy. I have never seen the blooms on this one so I have no idea what color it is. I can't wait to see it

[Leathal]

I found one about a 1/2 in on my small phal...nothing but a new root on the larger ones...grrrrr

[articuno75]

IthinkIamIthinkIamIthinkIamIthinkIamIthinkIam.

I placed some of the Phals outside to get temperature drops. I think I see something, not for sure so I'll post pics tomorrow. Bad thing is my poor babies are paying the price and they got burnt.

I didn't put enough SPF sunscreen on them.

[mehitabel]

Found two more spike nubs today. It's about two weeks now that we have been having bright sunny days of 83 or so and nights below 65. They are still very tiny, the biggest is app 1/4", and there may be others that are still hidden and too small to see. Hah! I hope!

So far, I've found 8 spike nubs, all on the bigger plants in the 6" pots, but less than half the 6" have spiked so far.

Articuno, I feel for you. I always burn something when I first put orchids outside. Just very hard to get the shade/sun right when they're so tender.

Leathal, it's early days for FLA, isn't it? You'll get them later, I bet.

[Sharyn]

Well, we've had nice 75-80F day temps and 58-65F night temps for about the last week. Previous week was a bit colder. Today, I noticed that most of my phals are starting to spike! Yippee! I'm looking forward to some nice blooms before Christmas.

[syndywindy]

Found a small nub on one of my Phal's this morning. Will have to watch it to see if its a spike. A little soon yet, but hopeful! I have left my phal's outsdie the last few nites, it's stayed above 60 and they have been fine. Temps should stay this way for the next week, so maybe I'll find a few more before too long.

[sanibel57]

I don't have a spike but mine just stopped blooming and I am waiting for the current spike to dry up so I can trim them. Should I go ahead and trim them now? However, I am very excited because I do have a new leaf growing from the middle of the plant. At least I think it is a leaf! Very exciting to me to see some growth. I've just had the plant since May so I am glad to see it thriving.

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by Stelios

On a noid yellow Phal both spent spikes start to form buds at their end and on the base of the plant there is a srange growth forming. i first noticed it last Sunday but with the fires and all I forgot to mention or check it again. Now that i see it closely (stands on the coffe table next to my laptop) it is very thick in comparisson with the spikes i had so far. I'll post a photo tomorrow so more experienced members could check it put and share their insight. .

It took some time but here is the promised picture. Do you think it is a very thick spike or a basal keiki? If it is a keiki should i worry it could dry the plant? I am concerned with the newest leaf looking a bit dehydrated. If it is a basal keiki should i leave it alone or remove it when it will develop roots?

[Stelios]

forgot to mention that i had this plant s/h and suffered some root loss due to rot. It used to thrive but suddenly it started rotting so i repotted it in bark and ceramic beads mix. It looks better now and started developing this growth.

[mehitabel]

Hi, sanibel. You don't have to wait for the spike to dry up before cutting it off. Some people do that in case a few more flowers appear from the tip. Others cut them off to let the plant form a new spike when it's ready. I do both or either as it strikes me -- if the plant is going to look silly with just a bloom or two on a tall spike, I cut the spike. If it's a short spike (commonly a sign that the spike will continue to produce flowers), I don't cut it.

The new leaf is a very good sign of health and new roots coming. Good growing! Your phal may take a time out to do a little growing before setting a new spike, but the time for this varies from a month or two to 5 or 6 months. Give it the best light you have and it will put up a new spike when it's ready

[maria1971]

I think I found a nubbin on my huge phal. It's pretty big and the last time it spiked the spikes grew for a couple of months before I got anything. I ended up with close to 60 blooms. It's the one I'm thinking of showing next year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Breezy79]

Originally Posted by Stelios

It took some time but here is the promised picture. Do you think it is a very thick spike or a basal keiki? If it is a keiki should i worry it could dry the plant? I am concerned with the newest leaf looking a bit dehydrated. If it is a basal keiki should i leave it alone or remove it when it will develop roots?

Well it looks like a spike to me, It looks a lot like one I have growing. But I'm by far no expert. Yours does seem a bit thick compared to other parts in the pic.

[Stelios]

sure is thick and it also has 2 pointy tips at it's upper side. One it shows and another one is on the back side. I am confused. I thought it was a spike initially and was sure about it but its so thick i have second thoughts. I guess we'll have to wait a bit so we could be sure.

[fred]

the more I look at the photo I am leaning toward a basal keiki

it looks to pointed to me for a spike ( just my opinion )

yep wait and see would be the best method at this point

[mehitabel]

Hi, stelios. Yeah, I think we have to wait to be sure. "two pointy tips" sounds a bit like new tiny leaves unfolding, so if it's a keiki, it will reveal itself soon. If it's a keiki, I would leave it on the mother plant, to form a bigger, multi-crown plant. These form a glorious, many-spike display. You say it's yellow. If it's yellow from venosa ancestry, I believe these form clumps with several crowns.

OTOH, it could just be another spike. You mention new buds forming at the ends of the old spikes. This i s common with yellow phals, and again, with venosa ancestry, they tend to throw multiple spikes.

About the leaf that's going limp. This isn't uncommon when there's been some root rot,and I have found limp leaves can rehydrate when the plant gets some new roots. I had that happen with several this summer. Bob Gordon recommends propping a limp leaf up with cotton balls (I use foam peanuts, tiny net pots cut in half, a bit of wood softened with foam on the edges-- whatever I have that will do the job without hurting the leaf). Then spritzing the leaf a couple of times a day. You could also put a clear plastic baggie over the leaf. This creates a humid atmosphere for it and helps preserve it until the new roots come ine.

Will the new spike/keiki hurt your plant? I'd say not. IMO, phals know what they need/want to do, and if they aren't strong enough for a spike, the spike will stall. Let it do it's thing and just enjoy it.

Sounds like it's doing fine. .

[mehitabel]

Two more tiniest spike nubbins today. I think that makes 11 since September 1. We did have cool nights the last week of August, so 2-3 weeks of nights 60-65 seems to have been enough for mature phals.

There are some slightly smaller tho blooming size ones I'm hoping will set spikes in the windows over the next couple of months.

Anyone else getting more spikes yet?

[orchidlover55]

Mehitabel I got up this morning and my hubby said that my den has bloomed already, I was so happy. I will get him to go out and get pics for me to post. He said they are mint green blooms. Also I have another spike on one of my phals Yeah!!

[Leathal]

My large Den has a bloom spike starting to emerge on it's newest growth, then I found a new growth on last years, so I will probably get some blooms from it. It also bloomed mid year last year from the end. The new growth is a couple inches from the end....weird

[davetheorchidaddict]

I have a couple spikes but most have not spiked yet, still waiting for some cooler nights - they seem to like a few nights in the fourties first. I have had one bloom in early August. "What medium are you using? How often do you fertilize them? Do you use fungicide, if yes what? Sorry for all this questions, I would love to have a real big and healthy one, but I am so afraid since that experience." I have had much better success mounting them and since doing that I have had them hanging with the Catts, I use the weakly/weekly methoid of fertilizing them. I use RD20 as a fungicide as I do with all my orchids, having them mounted the crown faces downward in most cases thus no standing water. My goal is to bloom a Phal. gigantea and have killed several trying to go that with the going potting methods, the one that I have now is mounted and growing quite well, had for almost 3 years and it bloomed last spring. DO NOT worry about asking questions because orchid people love talking about them and helping new comers so keep the questions coming. My growing methods may be wild but I believe if it works it must be liked by the plant. If I hear a different way of growing orchids I try it.

[lmartiny]

I think that growth looks like a keiki too. Looks "leafy" for a flower spike. Time will tell.

Dave, I've followed your growing tips. I too grow outside.