Still Blooming.....Good or Bad?
 

Hi Peeps...long time no post.

Two of my three phals are doing wonderful, (I think), as they dropped their blooms early summer and have grown a new leaf and a new root each.

My worry is that one was starting to drop its blooms and then decided to pop two more blooms out. There is no sign of them withering yet and no sign of leaf or root growth. Also there is a little green nub growing out of a leaf internode. Is it another flower spike?

I've read here that instead of being happy about the constant bloom I might be doing something wrong as the plant is trying to reproduce as it thinks it's dieing. It is being fed the same as the other two, same water and watering schedule, same exposure as well.

I'll attempt to post some pics......thanks all ;)

I think sometimes it can be a sign of a plant that thinks it's dying. However, I have a few Phals that bloom for months and they still put on new leaves and roots and as far as I can tell are doing well. So I think as long as the plant is putting out new leaves and roots I wouldn't worry.

Pictures of the two new blooms and the little nubbin.

Thanks digriz, but it's not putting new leaf growth or roots out, just this little nubbin and two blooms after the other blooms were dropping.

My other two chids are acting normal with no blooms and new leaves and roots. It's just this one that's making me scratch my head a bit.

Those blooms look very similar to my oldest orchid (pic). It's spiked every November since I've had it and once it still had the old spike on it when the new one came out.

What's your temperature like? Might be too cold for new leaves.

I would not worry too much. The second photo does look like a spike. Definitely not a root. Sometimes a basal keiki can look like a spike when it first starts, but I think what you have is a spike.

As long as the leaves and roots look healthy, I would not worry that this plant is blooming because it is dying.

BTW, with many Phals, a drop in temperatures will induce blooming. I have noticed that many of my Phals will bloom twice a year; when I move them outdoors in the spring, it is colder than when they were indoors, and that will initiate a spike. In the autumn, outdoor temperatures will drop before I decide to take them indoors, and that will also initiate a spike. If your temperatures are already dropping in N. Ontario, that likely explains why you are getting a new spike right now.

Thanks very much folks. If it is a temp change that's causing a new spike then it must be a sensitive individual as the other two are perfectly happy in their growth phase. Lovely fresh new leaf and root on them both. If it is a new spike I just hope it doesn't drain all the strength from it. A little keiki would be excellent though.

Thanks again peeps. :bowing

In the first photo I notice a plastic "carousel pot" in the background, is one of your Phals in that? If they are in different types of containers, they could have different growth patterns- roots in a more open container (like the carousel) vs more closed-in plastic "pot". .......Maybe.
;-)

I have a NOID orchid that looks just like that and it would not stop blooming for the longest time. It just kept going and going and finally the blooms dropped and now a week or so after I cut the spikes I see suspicious bulging at the crown. So maybe it's the background of the plant. I think it looks like a little like Baldan's Kaleidoscope- don't know if that's a prolific bloomer.


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This orchid looks exactly like my Baldan's Kaleidoscope "Golden Treasure," which I special ordered exactly because it's known to bloom like CRAZY. I've read it blooms quite often, some say near constantly. Perhaps your is a Baldan's Kaleidoscope, or at least related. Hope that helps!

Unless the plant starts to show signs of stress, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Some of my phals seem to shoot up a new spike about a month after dropping their last spike(s). Enjoy your flowers and don't worry!