Could you describe what the "spikes" look like. Do you see any buds forming. Are they all one uniform color of green.
Just a thought, but do you think they might be roots. The roots would be white in color when dry with a bright green tip. It usually only takes 4-6 weeks for a flower spike to form buds even under sub par conditions. 20 weeks seems a little too long to not be seeing any buds yet.