Phalaenopsis terminal spike

I have this Phal that I got from Home Depot, one of those ice orchids...I just didnt notice it until a newbie posted hers...this Phal was dried up and I took pity on it and bought it...I cut off the original bloom from the terminal spike and put cinammon ...the other spike had bloomed big beautiful flowers...then when the blooms dried up; I cut it an inch above the node where you see it has a budding spike just below it is the blooming present batch...the terminal spike is not blooming neither is it dead(its still green and fine) so I am not touching it. I had this since January this year and its constantly in bloom...it never stopped...I will just enjoy this Phal until it conks out on me...but I think its just happily growing and blooming... I never fertilized it...just water it every other day in the shower...

[koshki]

Very pretty!

Originally Posted by Anky

...just water it every other day in the shower...

That seems like a lot of watering for a phal!

[dounoharm]

i have a phal with a terminal spike, it kept blooming off side branches for 3 years, then it is presently forming a basal offshoot....you have to have patience with these!

[Puddy1]

That's an awfully pretty phal! Maybe she'll make a keiki

[Orchidchick]

Hi Anky, I know you don't want to lose this plant. She is a very healthy looking orchid. Like Barb, I hope in time she does produce a keiki for you or at least new basal growth. Good luck!

[Brooke]

What are you using as the media?

Hopefully it will form a keiki for you.

Brooke

@Brooke, I never repotted it. It came with coconut chips, rocks, charcoal in a plastic pot inside a fancy planter that orchids on ice sells at Home Depot. I take out the plastic from the planter when I water it, I dont water it with ice cubes as it was originally intended (I was instructed on the label to put 6icecubes in the morning, lol...The roots are not yet coming out of the container and I did not want to agitate it while in bloom...this is a kind of orchid that I am scared to mess with not unlike cymbidiums and dendrobiums where I can agitate the roots and repot in a glass pot, now I know that it is a special Phal, I tend to treat it as ICU case...

[Greybeard]

A beautiful Phal. just have patience and let keep doing what it is doing In time something is bound to happen with it, hopefully a good something

[Brooke]

I'm surprised an orchid on ice Phal is potted in anything but sphag. Usually they are the tight wrapped sphag that only needs a T. of water once a week. Maybe they are changing their way and upgrading their media to CHC. I am surprised even more you shower it every other day but if it works for you, it must be what your environment calls for it.

Don't worry about agitating Phal roots. Phals usually respond to a repotting with a growth spurt. For very young seedlings I sometimes repot them two or three times a year to spur additional growth. I didn't know Dens like to be agitated, most references I've found say they sulk but again if it works, why stop.

Brooke

[olDnuB]

I also have a phal with a terminal spike. This plant was a gift in early 2010, and developed a subspike after initial spike. I repotted shortly thereafter and new leaves and aerial roots appeared. The phal stopped in its tracks during the winter, and then last month, saw a spike coming from the center of the crown.

I repotted again in an effort to keep the roots growing strong, since there will not be anymore leaf growth. Hopefully a keiki will grow from this spike, as right now there are only flower buds.

Anyone know how long this phal might live with good culture even though it's got a terminal spike?

TIA.

[Susie11]

I'm new to this and I was wondering what is a terminal spike? beautiful phal though.

[Emma Grey]

Susie - A terminal spike is one that comes out of the middle crown of the plant where new leaves are supposed to grow. It usually means that the plant is done growing from the crown, but I've heard that these plants sometimes form keikis or basal growths. It doesn't necessarily mean that the plant is about to die.

[koshki]

Originally Posted by Emma Grey

Susie - A terminal spike is one that comes out of the middle crown of the plant where new leaves are supposed to grow. It usually means that the plant is done growing from the crown, but I've heard that these plants sometimes form keikis or basal growths. It doesn't necessarily mean that the plant is about to die.

"Terminal" as in "the last in line", not "death sentence"!