Broken flower spike

[Rocinante]

Hi everyone,

I just bought a phal. from Lowe's 50% off. It looks like the flower spike was broken off somehow. The end is jagged. Is there anything I can do for it The plant has a new flower spike coming up from the bottom. It looks healthy. Thanks for your help.
Rachel

[kmarch]

Hi Rachael,

I see you're relatively new to the forum so welcome! There's not much you can do for the broken spike. As I see it you have 2 options:
1) if the broken spike still has a node (which looks like a kind of joint) another spike could come off that, so trim the broken spike to just above that node.
2) since there is another spike coming, you oculd simply cut the broken spike off near the base. This would direct the plant's enery to the new spike.

I think I'd opt for the second option. I think it is yoru best chance for gettign a good healthy bloom.

[Debbie Hayden]

Hi Rachel, I'm a newbie ,too, but what I would do is to make a clean cut on the broken spike just above a lower node with a sterile sharp blade of some kind. I use pet nail clippers. You could very well get new growth from that node. If the new growth from the bottom, that you mentioned, is truely a spike and not a root, you should have new blooms in the near future. Good luck!