OMG MY FIRST SPIKE!!! What do I do!!! - Orchid Board

Leilani · #1 10-09-2014, 07:54 PM

I've had my phal orchid for four years and it's always been healthy, growing new leaves and roots all the time. But it's never flowered. WELL! It's growing a flower spike!! I'm so excited and freaking out! I have no idea why she decided to flower now, we had a very sunny summer here on the coast maybe that's it. For the first few years I fed her religiously the "weekly weakly" method, but this year I hardly fertilized her at all. I'm so confused! I have a couple other exotic orchids I forget their names, they are not spiking and they're all together in my bay window. The spike is about 8 inches long.

Ok so WHAT DO I DO NOW??? I gave her a dose of bloom, 1tbs per gallon and soaked her pretty good, dampening everything before the food. Need help! I'll just die if I mess this up!!!

Leilani · #2 10-09-2014, 08:09 PM

Oh that's funny my picture posted upside down, but there she is!!

MrHappyRotter · #3 10-09-2014, 08:37 PM

Phew. 1 tbs per gallon of almost any fertilizer I know of is way too much, so first thing I'd do is flush the pot with lots of fresh water to make sure you don't burn the roots.

Second, if the plant failed to bloom before, and then you cut back on fertilizing, so now it's blooming, guess what? It means you should probably continue to cut way back on fertilizing.

Truthfully, over feeding can lead plants to grow leaves and roots rather than bloom. There are several reasons, or at least theories about this. Probably the number one reason is that if the plants are getting lots of nitrogen, they're going to grow leaves. This is true for other plant families, so likely holds for orchids. Secondly, an excess of some nutrients can lead to deficiencies in others, which in turn may inhibit blooming.

Most importantly, though is this. It's possible that nothing special in particular triggered the plant to bloom. It may have just needed several years of rest. But, you should avoid making sudden and drastic changes to the plant's care. No extra watering. No extra feeding. No moving to warmer or cooler spots, no changing the light levels. Just keep things stable.

801229001 · #4 10-09-2014, 11:22 PM

one tablespoon of any orchid fertilizer is a really large amount, i fertilize my orchids about twice a month with half a teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon and they grow and bloom just fine!

You should definitely flush with fresh water, preferably RO or distilled water to wash away some of the excess fertilizer, otherwise it could burn the roots of your plant .

If your plant bloomed without any extra care, chances are it likes those conditions and it probably would not appreciate any changes in its environment so keep doing what you were doing befor!

Leilani · #5 10-09-2014, 11:28 PM

Ok thank you!! I just ran into the kitchen like a superhero and flushed with fresh water to hopefully get off all the food, I was just following the label directions- it's better-gro orchid bloom- says 1tbs per gallon every fourth feeding or once per month. I havent used it in a long time cause it was never blooming. The regular orchid food I was doing 1/4 tsp per gallon about every ten days but then I just sorta stopped about six months ago.
So thank you! I hope I didn't burn the roots. God that'll piss me off to no end. I'll just leave her be and do her thing. It's growing out to the side, how will I attach it to a stake, and when do I do that?

camille1585 · #6 10-10-2014, 04:03 AM

Staking it is a matter of personal preference. I usually let my Phals do whatever they please, and use stakes only if the wieght of the blooms threatens to snap the spike. Young spikes are easier to stake because they are softer. But because they are softer, they are also easier to break...

Optimist · #7 10-10-2014, 10:35 AM

If anything when it is spiking touch it less, move it less. That spike is tender and will break easily. The flower buds will drop if they are unhappy. The plant will sacrifice the flowers in order to save the whole plant, so don't make any changes.

And you must use much less fertilizer than most instructions say. I prefer "none" at all. I just use some kelp and super thrive. No "fertilizer." Since I started that, no dry or burnt roots.

Orchid Whisperer · #8 10-10-2014, 10:58 AM

Hi Leilani

To sum up the good advice given above, first RELAX, then don't do anything except water it normally. Tweak and mess around with it and you could end up ruining the spike.

To use a baseball analogy, you have rounded 3 bases with this plant and are 5 feet from home plate, you don't want to change directions now!

I agree with the recommendations to reduce fertilizer in your general orchid culture. you can use as little as 1/8 teaspoon per gallon if you fertilize weekly. You could go to 1/4 teaspoon/gal if you fertilize every other week. However, you didn't do any harm by fertilizing just the one time at 1 tsp/gal, but I wouldn't continue at that strength.

My Green Pets · #9 10-10-2014, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Optimist

If anything when it is spiking touch it less, move it less. That spike is tender and will break easily.

So many posts this time of year titled "I broke the spike fml!!!"

Put the plant back where you had it and keep doing whatever you were doing before. No special "spike" treatment necessary.

About staking, be careful as this is primo spike-breaking territory. Just let it do its thing and if it wants to tip over, set the plant, pot and all, in a heavier, sturdier container while its in bloom.

Now, step away from the Phalaenopsis! And post an update in a month!

Leilani · #10 10-10-2014, 10:05 PM

Well since this is my first spike EVER I'm not going to touch it. I'd rather have stalk that's dropping over than no spike at all. Thanks for all the feeding advice, I'm not going to feed her for awhile (since I wasn't for awhile anyway and she flowered) then I'll just play it by ear after that. Maybe as suggested just maybe 1/8 tsp a week when I water. But for now my hands are off the phal! I'm backing AWAY FROM THE PLANT LOL. Best advice ever.
Unfortunately the light is changing out of my control. We've had more sun this summer than any year I've been alive, and it's starting to go away and back to fog so if the extra sun this year is what she wanted, I can't fix that. I hope that wasn't it.

Cheers! So glad I joined this group. I look forward to learning from all of you seasoned orchid growers!