Is this what I think?

[Gladys47]

Remember the phal I posted with 3 plants in the pot?Today I found this growing out the bottom. I know this is suppossed to be a bad thing/omen, but these plants are VERY healthy!The roots look great. I don't really like the peat moss they are planted in, but that could be because I'm just not used to it.
Anyway, all you smarter than me folks,(which is probably all of you) tell me what you think. I kind of wanted to leave all 3 plants in the same pot for at least one season to see all the spikes.
Thanks for looking, Gladys

[fred]

Gladys
your Phal is a very nice looking plant you also have new Growth,s growing
well done

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Gladys47

I know this is suppossed to be a bad thing/omen...

If you think you've got a new growth (technically not a keiki) coming on your Phal, you'd be correct!. You say it is 3 plants, but if you look next time you repot I suspect you will find they are all connected. Some Phals do this. It depends on the breeding.

I'm not sure who told you that new growth is a bad omen, but feel free to tell them they're wrong. New growth on orchids is a good omen. It means you're doing something right.

On another note, don't try to divide the orchid (if they indeed prove to be all connected) unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Let the plants stay together and when they bloom you will end up with a fantastic display of flowers.

Keep up the good work!

Congrats, and Cheers!

[sandra]

Growth on orchids is a good thing and I've always read that keikis on phals in particular, especially good. They can remain on the mother plant and how interesting, I'd imagine that would look or, when their roots are long enough, separated and potted up separately. I'm hoping for some keikis with my phals. On the other hand, I've read that when dendrobiums start producing lots of keikis, it can mean trouble (depending where on the plant this growth is). I have a huge dend. that I thought was finally beginning to spike but I'm beginning to recognize (I think, not sure yet) that it's putting out 2 more keikis and not spikes.....up high on the plant.....big disappointment and signs that it may be stressed....not a good thing.

[chefatplay]

Very interestig. I always thought keikis were a signal of plant in stress. Geez, learn something new every day.

[Gladys47]

I thought it meant the plant was in distress also. Sooo glad to hear I'm wrong. I always just assumed it was 3 plants in one pot. Have not repotted yet as it still has 2 flowers left yet.;} Now I'm gonna be scared when I do. I suppose I should wait for the new growth to get bigger? The medium seeems ok except it's peat moss and I have never used that before. I should wait do you think? Thanks, Gladys

[kmarch]

Keikis can mean a plant is in distress, or "off its cycle" so to speak, but it isn't necessarily a bad omen.

Lets clear something up here. We're confusing a keiki with a normal growth. A growth coming from the base of a Phal or any other orchid is not a keiki. A keiki is a growth that comes from a flower stem (in the case of a Phal) or a cane (in the case of a Dendrobium). The new growth Gladys has coming from the base of her Phal isn't a keiki, it's just a normal new growth. Eventhough you don't see it regularly in Phals, it does happen in them depending on the breeding.

[sandra]

One other thing I recently learned here about phals is that if a spike starts growing out of the center of the plant, that spells trouble for the plant, indicating its final destination, to the orchid gods in the sky.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Gladys47

I thought it meant the plant was in distress also. Sooo glad to hear I'm wrong. I always just assumed it was 3 plants in one pot. Have not repotted yet as it still has 2 flowers left yet.;} Now I'm gonna be scared when I do. I suppose I should wait for the new growth to get bigger? The medium seeems ok except it's peat moss and I have never used that before. I should wait do you think? Thanks, Gladys

I would recommend waiting until the growth is bigger. Then it won't be as delicate and suceptable to damage as it is now. Gladys, you seem to be well aware the problems wet Phal roots can cause and you sound like you're being careful not to over water, so if anyone will be successful in keeping a Phal in peat for another year until the new growth gets a little bigger, you will. It sounds like you have a vigorously growing Phal so you might not have to wait that long.

Happy Growing!

[Gladys47]

Thanks for clearing that up, Kevin. Some of this stuff does get confusing on the old brain! Gladys