Odd ? broken spike, now 3 new spikes at same location ?
 

So - Phal No I.d. - my first time breaking a spike :(( After breaking the spike, there now appears to be THREE (!!) new spikes growing right behind the broken one.
Is this usual ? unusual ?
The previous spike on this plant did have several branches on it - so perhaps this is the branching habit causing this - like maybe it is growing the branches that spike would have had, had I not broke the spike ? I'm not complaining, just find it curious ;)

A little unusual perhaps, but definitely in a good way. You've got a happy plant that just happens to branch easily, growing strongly and making the most of the broken spike. Please show us pictures when it is covered in flowers. Good growing!

It does sound unusual... But it looks happy! So maybe it was an older spike, and knew that you didn't mean to break it? Lol.

LOL - I got this plant, and it's twin (2 in one pot) at the farmer's market last summer. Mostly I kill Phals quickly - but this was $4 so I thought I would have a go.
It is a happy easy grower and bloomer I guess. This plant - the spike just kept growing and blooming all winter and spring til I repotted a few weeks ago. Then the spike died,, but very soon after it started this new spike which I broke - then this cluster of spikes shortly after breaking the other. I had been watching and hoping for another spike on it (it's twin has two spikes now), but didn't expect a spike from the same leaf axis,, much less 3! Who knew?!

If it's branching that easily I can't wait to see the end result. Each will likely branch again as they grow, giving you likely at least 2 branch points, and lots of blooms. Congrats.

WOW! That's amazing! I've never heard or seen this anywhere. Very interesting & unusual. Thanks!
I can't wait to see the spikes grown & flowered. Please do keep us posted on what she does.

I will keep you updated - this plant seems to be a sequential bloomer, so I don't think it will have spikes loaded with blooms all at one time, but still could be very nice - interesting at the very least.

Thanks for your comments everyone - I thought this was unusual - but my Phal growing has been mostly limited to killing them :p

I'm dying of curiosity, what colour is it?
& you are obviously getting very good now at growing phals!! Congrats!

hehe - aww thanks :blushing: Yes, I think I am figuring out what Phals want finally! This one has the advantage for me of not minding that I keep the house cool in winter - it just kept growing and blooming anyway :)

small blooms, very delicate pink

pix from last year

Very nice! Thanks! it reminds me of equestris. Looking forward to seeing the 3 spikes in bloom & a pic of the whole plant if you have the time.

well - here's pix from today - it's twin with 2 spikes, and this plant with the cluster of spikes - they didn't want to come apart when I repotted, so they remain together in one pot ;)

I see a tag in your pot - does your orchid have a name? To me it looks like it could be Dtps. Purple Gem, the primary hybrid between Dor. pulcherrima x Phal. equestris. Such wonderful, strong spikes!

That's just the tag I made for it - it reads "Phal. No I.D. farmer's market. pale pink" lol- it didn't have one - tho it has been suggested it may have doritis pulcherrima in it, and others have also noted - as I have myself - some resemblance to equestris - so it's possible ... I'm just tickled about it - I have killed so many Phals, and these two have been doing so well, and now multiple spikes! And only cost me $4! LOL

I have seen pix before of Dtps. Purple Gem, of course since mine isn't purple I didn't consider it as a possibility - Just did a web search and see some are quite light colored - DOH! @ me! lol
Thanks for the suggestion! ;)

Awesome!!! once th 3 spikes bloom, you should show it at an orchid show!!! i bet it would do well!

Aw thanks :) I'm pretty happy about it - break one spike, get three in return lol - we'll have to see what they do :)

Oh WOW! It's extremely pretty! :drool: What a deal! I'm sure it's happy! Any news on the spikes?

It definetly looks like a Phalanopsis equestris hybrid! I love it! equestris is one of my favorites! It's a lovely hybrid!

Thanks Mary - well spikes are growing - the plant with the two bigger spikes, buds and branches are developing, tho they are small still. The three small spikes have a ways to go yet.

Hopefully there will be some blooms on the larger spikes next month - I did get these last August, one plant in bud/bloom, the other with a small spike growing - so seems they are on schedule ;)

Update on this phal - it appears to have TWO more spikes starting ! :shock:

One, at first I thought was a terminal spike - but then I realized it's actually not growing from the crown, but along side the newest, not yet mature leaf! The second - well it appears to be a spike, tho I am not completely ruling out root yet, from the same leaf axis as the broken, and subsequent 3 other spikes!

Macro on my camera isn't very good, so no pix yet - but maybe in a few days these spikes will be big enough to photograph ...

This is crazy!

wow! seems happy! it does look like it has equestris in it

well it's either very happy - or afraid I will break more spikes lol - pro-active defense!

It will be interesting to see what these spikes all do - if maybe because there are so many, they will be smaller than they would have been with only one or two spikes.

what is your planting medium for these White Rabbit? How often are you watering too? I seem to be a serial phal killer :( so I'm hoping that the new ones I got I can keep alive as well.:nailbite: please.gifplease.gif

well I actually potted these ones in sphag, but there is an inverted net pot inside - and that with the amount of roots in the pot, there isn't an awful lot of sphag.

I also have the phal I crown rotted, but now has a basal keiki, that is growing well in chunky bark. That one also has a small inverted net pot inside.

Both are in clear plastic pots, I water when the roots are no longer green. And judging by the skewers in the pots, the media is just about dry when the roots are no longer green.

I feel your pain - I have been a serial phal killer as well, so have been quite happy to finally have gotten the hang of it.

I can imagine it must have quite a show of buds on? any update? all those spikes!!!!!!!!!!!!! :drool:

well with the two plants in one pot - the first has a number of blooms open, the second (the one with the cluster of spikes) is about ready to start opening some buds I think. I'll try to get a pic - the spikes from where I broke the first spike do look like they may be smaller than the spikes on it's twin, tho it did get another spike from an opposite leaf axis as well.

Pic from today - the bigger spikes with blooms are both on the plant with two spikes on it.

The plant with four spikes - the three spikes growing from the spot where the original broken spike seem they will not get as large as the others, but do look like buds should begin to open soon.

:waving
I'm not sure if you saw my reply, above ...

:schock: what a beaty

thanks :) I'm just happy I seemed to have resolved my Phal killing problem lol

good job :lol: thumbs up! i never erally had a problem with phals, to be honest in the year iv been involved with this hobby, i really havent found anything that i cant grow. but once i explore different genera, then i will definitely find something i cant grow. i doubt i can grow masdies or milts, because its too hot

well initially I had some success (at least didn't kill the Phals right off the bat), but I had periods of neglected them I am sorry to say - and then I think I went over-board in the other direction, and over-watered ...

absolutly stunning sonya!!!!
looks so happy and healthy
great growing

stefan

thanks Stefan :blushing:

OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS! :bowing
STUNNING. I'm so jealous.

btw... I didn't see your reply, I will go finding it. I have had a very hectic few days, 9 year old boy b-day then 9 year old's b-day party with 6-9 year old boys, need I say more? :lol:

I should say!!! And then some!!! :) Inverted net pots, eh? I will look at my roots and water as you have. I shall mend my overwatering ways.

hehe - yeah - I have learned that they do better getting very near dry before watering - going by the root color - waiting until roots were no longer green, checking the skewer at that time shows media is almost dry at that point. The one in chunky bark, with inverted net pot inside would likely be harder to over-water than the one in sphag, but I try to wait for media to be near dry before watering to be safe ...

You could also use a regular small plastic pot with drainage holes, inverted inside your pot - I have done that with some other plants - tho I do like the net pots for providing lots of air ;)

got it! I will mend my ways, I promise. Sometimes it's hard to tell if the skewer is totally dry, or? I need to obey what I've heard people say and "if in question, just wait another day".

I wonder what it is in my brain that thinks I need to water? What is the switch in my head that thinks I need to drown the poor plants? If I could just identify that, I think all would be well. :rofl:

yeah - I know - if you touch the skewer to your cheek or upper lip you can feel some moisture - or sometimes it feels dry, but cool - I've been waiting til the skewer feels dry, but maybe just barely cool - or even waiting a day after that. Tho if you have clear pots and can monitor the root color - wait til roots are no longer green. If I am not sure - I do wait a day ...

Don't feel bad - I was killing mine too - and I know plenty of others have as well - by over-watering. I always read they should be slightly moist - and I guess the emphasis should be on slightly! I was watering mine as I do my oncidiums and onc inter-generics, which I keep on the moister side (tho I now have discovered a couple Oncidiums that like to get about dry out a bit before being watered) - and it seems Phals don't want to be THAT moist constantly.

I still have a couple I have been trying to recover from my over-watering ways ... (those were the lucky ones that at least didn't DIE from over-watering - but have no roots)

good luck!

k, I will put emphasis on "slightly" and in my case, and wait a day after the skewer seems nearly dry. I swear, if I would either just get another hobby, I wouldn't have as much time to obsess about my orchids, and (some) would likely benefit from more 'neglect' from me, so they don't have to grow gills. ;)

I swear I will mend my overwatering ways, and one day post photos of a monster phal that I haven't killed!

yeah I've been letting this one get just about dry to dry ...