Hope for my phal with crown rot?

[Yiu Lin]

Hi everyone,
This phal has had crown rot for a couple of months already, and lost its top 3 leaves (including a small new one that had just emerged).
It had a nice green spent spike, that I left on, in case a keiki would emerge. I've also been looking out for a basal keiki. So far no luck.

But this morning, while watering, I've noticed a nub that looks like a spike emerging. Itis on the top of the right leaf. Could this be a keiki coming? Would a phal with crown rot be healthy enough to send up a normal flowering spike? or could this be it's last attempt to pollinate itself?

Of course, I could be completely mistaken and the nub could be nothing or even a root.
What are your thoughts?

[berkeleysgr8]

I can't see the nub you're talking about. The leaves look firm and green... so there is hope for a basal keiki in the future. I had a Phal that dropped all of its leaves very suddenly last year (not sure what the cause was)... I have two basal keikis developing from the base of the plant. Good luck!

[Yiu Lin]

It;s just the start of a nub, but I know it wasn't there 3 days ago, when I last checked. I've tried adding in an arrow to show where it is.
Hope this works.

[orchidea]

Hey, looks like something to me!!!!!!!!! I could see it even without the arrow...
I remember from your reply to my post that you were waiting for it for a while. Great!!!!! Congrats!!!!! It could be a spike, a root or a keiki..... Only time will show. It actually looks like a root to me.
The one I had was actually a keiki and has two tiny leaves now, soooo cute
Please keep us posted!

[Yiu Lin]

Orchidea - congrats on your keiki! Would love to see a pic of that

[englandfx]

I think it is too early to tell what that nub is.
But I would guess it is a root xD

[mayres]

I would not expect a basal keiki to come from this location - will be interested to see pics as it develops - could indeed be a root?

[patticake]

It's "something", anyways! Can't wait to see! I have a phal with a missing crown that I've had for 2 years. It hasn't changed a bit. It has a root from the bottom finally. I'm determined to get growth from it somewhere! Keep the faith- and keep us posted as well!

[Yiu Lin]

Even a new root would be most welcome.
Any growth is good .

will keep everyone updated. Hopefully the next few days should reveal what it is.

[orchidlover55]

I am very curious to what it is so please keep us updated. I am thinking it is a keiki but I am probably wrong. I wll keep my along with Patti. We will stand by you while you wait

[orchidea]

Originally Posted by Yiu Lin

Orchidea - congrats on your keiki! Would love to see a pic of that

Thank you Yiu Lin, you can look at the picture (I just posted) in my original post ("orchids are playing a joke"). I just hope it will make it through the winter, it looks so fragile.....
Lots of luck to you with your Phal!!!

[lmartiny]

A leaf doesn't seem possible. I'd say Keiki.

[digitalgate]

i have these quite often , with new leave / keiki come out of the crown.

[Yiu Lin]

Hi everyone,
After 2 weeks of no change to the nub, I gave up on the plant, and stuck in at the bottom of a shelf, furthest from my view. I continued to water as normal, but didn't really pay much attention to it.

As everyone knows, they thrive on managed neglect, and the phal has rewarded me with a little keiki on the spent spike.
Yippee!

I don't know whether anyone has observed care for trying to get a keiki, but from my observations, the bottom of the shelf gets a bit more sunlight than the original shelf. This plant has had the spent spike for almost a year, with no change, and lost its crown in June. I wonder whether it was just a coincidence that putting it on the lowest shelf for 2 weeks is what helped to scare the plant into creating the keiki.

So what next? I just carry on with regular care for the momma plant? And only repot the baby once it's got decent length roots?

[digitalgate]

yes only repot when the baby have at least 2 inch of root. In the mean time pls apply fungicides.