Phalaenopsis amboinensis

[Stelios]

I got my plant last February. When it arrived it had what appeared to be the tip of a developing spike. It looked like a small bud coming out of it between the leaves. It was half a cm back then. 7 months or so later it stil seems very strange to me that it's so very slow. I just took a photo. It is now only 2,5cm (an inch). Is it normal for this species to grow so slowly? During these 7 months it grew 2 new leaves, and they were growing just at the usual rate for a phalaenopsis if not quicker than usual. Why the spike is so slow?

[lance]

hopefully someone will come along who knows

[janet_a]

hmm, interesting. sometimes spikes will just stall; i've had plants that had little nubbins when i bought them and nothing ever happened with them. the plants ended up putting out other spikes instead.

you got this plant in 2/09? i suppose something could still come of this; my record-holder was a dtps happy valentine crossed on a sib; took 6 months from the spike first appearing to the first flower opening. (yep, it went to the plant swap. i'm patient, but not that patient. )

but your new little growth there also doesn't really look like a spike; i'm wondering if it will turn out to be a keiki.

[kid a]

I have no idea if that slowness is normal but I have a Phal pulchra that had a spke start months ago and it doesn't look like it has done a darn thing and also a phal cornu cervii with a new spike that has slowly creeping and I mean creeping along for two months.

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by janet_a

hmm, interesting. sometimes spikes will just stall; i've had plants that had little nubbins when i bought them and nothing ever happened with them. the plants ended up putting out other spikes instead.

you got this plant in 2/09? i suppose something could still come of this; my record-holder was a dtps happy valentine crossed on a sib; took 6 months from the spike first appearing to the first flower opening. (yep, it went to the plant swap. i'm patient, but not that patient. )

but your new little growth there also doesn't really look like a spike; i'm wondering if it will turn out to be a keiki.

if it is a keiki ti will be a bit rare as it comes directly out of the base just above the lowest leaf. I bet it is a spike though. It's just so slow, 7 months for 2 cm of growth is nomething i haven't yet seen on any of my orchids.

[PhalPal]

I have no idea what you have!!! The bottom part of the growth looks like a spike while the top looks like a keiki????

7 months for such little progress isn't a good sign; I have never had any sort of growth take so long to progress.

[rcb]

stelios, it looks like a spike to me, remember a lot of species Phals have very short spikes compared to the majority of hybrids, and the tip of it looks like the beginning of bud development. As for length of time, I'm not sure what is normal for amboinensis. I'm pretty sure brooke has flowered one of these, maybe she can chime in on timing? I do know my pulchra had started a spike around Nov and bloomed in June.

[Stelios]

i went downstairs to the bathroom again and took some more photos that will might help you identify what is going on. I am posting one of the plant and roots and a couple of the growth. Except some mechanical damage on a leaf (it came with it from the grower) it looks a preety healthy plant to me.

While taking the photos i had to bent the leaf so i could shoot the growth, i felt the plant was "in pain" and then it almost "jumped"! Thankfully the fall hasn't done any damage other than some potting medium getting on the floor. I left it alone as it clearly doesn,t like to be disturbed. I got frightened seeing it upside down that it would have brocken in half.

here are the photos.

[trinigirl]

That definitely looks like a spike to me. My ambionensis is a very slow grower. But when it opens, it will be awesome.

[patticake]

I have an Ascps. Jiaho's Orange 'Jiaho', that started a spike over a year ago. It still sits there. It looks healthy, but doesn't grow. I just re-potted the whole plant in s/h to see if that mike kick start it! What kind of light is it getting? Maybe it needs a little more light?

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by patticake

I have an Ascps. Jiaho's Orange 'Jiaho', that started a spike over a year ago. It still sits there. It looks healthy, but doesn't grow. I just re-potted the whole plant in s/h to see if that mike kick start it! What kind of light is it getting? Maybe it needs a little more light?

it is in the bathrooom so it has high humidity and bright indirect light for the duration of the day (both roof and west have windows). Actually it has a bit more of the light a phal needs but it is acclimatized and it seems to like it.

[janet_a]

oh yeah, that's a spike. but the plant looks fat and happy, so it may just take it a while.

[hulaorchid]

Someone said "you can't rush mother nature!" It look healthy to me and those type of phals do grow smaller spikes. Look like we will all have to wait!! LOL Keep us posted!

[Brooke]

Your ambo will bloom this fall/winter and probably produce another spike too. You got a spike when the plant was old enough but the season changed and now it just sits there waiting for the correct condition to bloom.

Enjoy the blooms when it decides the time is right. Yes, the ambo is one of the slowest species e-v-e-r !

Brooke

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by Brooke

Your ambo will bloom this fall/winter and probably produce another spike too. You got a spike when the plant was old enough but the season changed and now it just sits there waiting for the correct condition to bloom.

Enjoy the blooms when it decides the time is right. Yes, the ambo is one of the slowest species e-v-e-r !

Brooke

thanks Brooke! That really helps me a lot to better understand its cycle.

[orchidlover55]

It looks like a spike to me too I have one that is just sitting there also, I can't even talk it into growing . Does it get very much light?
I think it is just so happy, that it just don't want to budge. LOL
Keep us updated

[PhalPal]

I have a Laelia anceps that will throw up several spikes and then sit there for 4-5 months. They wait for the 'right time' to bloom also, but it drives me crazy?!!? I mean, just how different is our weather from October to January????

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by orchidlover55

It looks like a spike to me too I have one that is just sitting there also, I can't even talk it into growing . Does it get very much light?
I think it is just so happy, that it just don't want to budge. LOL
Keep us updated

Yeah, it get a lot of light, a bit more than phal needs but it is used to it and seems to like it.

[norris]

My Phal bastianii has a spike that started this past winter, and stalled out just like yours did. It is still green and healthy looking, so I hope to see blooms sooner or later.

[Stelios]

so a month later it is showing signs of growth!!! Yupiii!
It used to be so slow but now it seems it sped up the process. Here's a new photo.

[norris]

It definitely looks like it is growing I just checked my P. bastianii... still looks the same as it has since last winter

[Stelios]

oh i know how it is, checking and checking and seeing the plant sleeping. Maybe it will wake with the fall temperature changes.

[norris]

That is what I'm hoping. It still is staying warm at night here in southern CA, but I bet cooler nights are just around the corner.

[trinigirl]

It is definitely growing! Mine is not doing anything yet.

[Stelios]

Sarah i hope yours will wake up as well. I think my plants woke up a bit earlier because of the fire heatwave combined with the fact that our balcony door was missing due to renovation for 3 weeks. So in a house with a missing door there are quite some differences in day night temperature.

[CharliesAngel51]

Norris, keep a good thought that cooler nights are just around the corner in So Cal. My orchids and I are ready for that.

[norris]

I certainly will! My orchids and I are ready for some cooler nights also.

[rockinvixen]

I have an odontoglossum/Oncidium intergeneric orchid that has several new growths on it but I'm not sure if they will turn into spikes or if they already are? I guess I will have to wait and see. I hope they make it!

Rockinvixen

[Stelios]

another month without any progress
This one is really testing my patience.
I repoted it to fresh medium just in case it will do anything.

[mayres]

I don't want to suggest that the following will happen with YOUR plant, but I have a cornu cervi that put out a spike like this that NEVER did anything. The next two summers it put out one additional spike higher up that each put out two flowers in succession. My guess is something was not just quite right - not enough light....not quite long enough warm weather......just a little too dry.....something (?).

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by mayres

I don't want to suggest that the following will happen with YOUR plant, but I have a cornu cervi that put out a spike like this that NEVER did anything. The next two summers it put out one additional spike higher up that each put out two flowers in succession. My guess is something was not just quite right - not enough light....not quite long enough warm weather......just a little too dry.....something (?).

you sure made my day

[kip]

have you tried switching to a bloom booster (high phosphorus) fertilizer?

[tizzycat]

Stelios, your plant looks nice and healthy, I'm sure it will produce something eventually even if it throws out another spike.

It will be worth the wait in the end.

[mayres]

Yep! I go along with chris.
My project ambo that we started back in April of 2008 now has 6 leaves and has doubled in size - but 2X small is still small - just a bigger small. These certainly do grow slowly - mine doesn't look anything near blooming size yet? Look forward to seeing yours .......

[kmarch]

I had a Phal heiroglyphica once that I bought with 2 spikes. They stalled. About 3 years later, it grew 2 more spikes and they went on to flower. The spikes grew v e r y s l o w l y.

[patticake]

I think we should all have a party when this thing finally pops! Good luck!

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by patticake

I think we should all have a party when this thing finally pops! Good luck!

lol If this torture of my patience come to an end i will definitely bake some cake.

[Stelios]

I see all those amboinensis (e.g. Brooke's... Hera's...) and i can't stop feeling frustrated. I tried everything. I sweet talked to it, i took care of it, i threatened it, i neglected it... anything...

Since last February it's 10 months. Last photo was in October so let's see how it is at the moment. I am really frustrated with this one, any insight? It hasn't withered at least, but it didn't grew or sent up a new spike either.

[hera]

Stelios

Its a warm growing species, do you have it warm enough to make it comfortable. Some plants will grow but not thrive in less than optimum conditions. Also, try increasing the light a bit. It worked for my one hybrid that sat for two years doing nothing. Its spiking, finally.

[Stelios]

I have it next to a bloomed catleya, so the light should be ok. The min temperature where it stands is 17 at night 22 during the day. Humidity 65-75%

I think that it just joined my Gongora and formed a club with orchids that hates me. My other phals are so friendly, they don't even get upset for having them in kitschy gold Christmas decoration.

[Stelios]

and yes... it is now a full year and the spike is still stalling, or grows at a pace only noticeable every other month. Also it lost a couple of leaves without signs of a new one growing yet. I hope it will get in grow mode this spring.

[satishsherikar]

The first spikes seem to cause this trouble. I have had a V. Zengyo White, spiking for the first time, which lost 5 spikes (doing nothing for months together and finally browning out). The 6th spike finally is in bud for me now (this is also relatively slow, compared to my ASCDA or other vandas). The spike developed about 2 months back and am hoping to see the blooms in another 2 weeks.

I also have a Phal Liodora, which is very slow from the time of the spike initiation to the flowers blooming (atleast for me!). I have a spike about 2 inches since the last 5 weeks. not sure how long for the flower to bloom. last time it was around 4 months and even then, each flower would take 1-2 weeks after the previous flower bloomed. Do not know if it was me who was doing something wrong, but loved the flowers and the fragrance when they bloomed though.

[patticake]

This is the same plant that many of us in the U.S. have as a project plant. I've had my amboinensis for about 2 years now, and it has grown quite a bit, but no bloom yet. Keep us posted!

[Stelios]

since February 2009 that it had it's first spike, it is slowly growing it. Now it started to develop a second one. I guess it will take a couple of years but it will eventually bloom

[mayres]

Hang in there! I have a cornu cervi that acts sort of like this too. One spike came out similar to your original one - now has leaves growing on it instead of flowers. Another spike nearby that has grown since will hopefully have flowers? Can you post a pic of your entire plant? I'd like to compare the plant to my seedling. Thanks!

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by mayres

Hang in there! I have a cornu cervi that acts sort of like this too. One spike came out similar to your original one - now has leaves growing on it instead of flowers. Another spike nearby that has grown since will hopefully have flowers? Can you post a pic of your entire plant? I'd like to compare the plant to my seedling. Thanks!

Sure, here's a photo of the full plant and another one that shows the original spike, the second one coming and a third growth that looks like an additional spike!

[psyc1210]

Nice!!

[tansyflower]

It looks happy enough! That third one may be a keiki!

[trinigirl]

Looks really nice, it will put on quite a show.

[mayres]

Here is a current pic of my cornu cervi - it now has FOUR spikes - a couple have yet to bloom once - one appears to be developing a couple of keikis. I only show it because it appears to be somewhat like your plant Stelios, that for months and months has flower spikes that do nothing.

[tansyflower]

I'm bringing all my poor sickly phals inside to show them that pic.

Nice growing!

[Brooke]

Mike the cornu will spike at each leaf juncture on both sides of the plant. They also prefer a lot more light than a normal phal.

My regular cornu is blooming now but my alba, which is yellow, blooms year round. I've had it for two years and it just keeps blooming and producing new spikes year round. I would love for my regular one to do this

My seedling ambo now has two spikes - neither have bloomed Ambo has to be the slowest growing phal EVER!

Brooke

[Stelios]

Originally Posted by Brooke

My seedling ambo now has two spikes - neither have bloomed Ambo has to be the slowest growing phal EVER!

i can't agree more with you!

[Sharyn]

I'm with Patti and others from the growing project. This is the SLOWEST growing phal I've ever grown. Over 2 years now, and just staying healthy but nothing else!