An ever-gifting spike...
 

I believe it was late last year that my Phal. Minho Princess x Lightning still had a green spike and was suffering. I had a bunch of plants at a place I was not at all too often and more than once they went weeks (many weeks, think 4-6) without watering. True to their amazingness all the plants survive though they also suffered. So this plant suffered root loss b/c of the desiccation and ultimately I was unable to save it, well really it died from crown rot...not sure how that happened...anywho...

Before the mother plant died a node near the end of the spike started growing a keiki. The little guy then started a spike of its own though no roots while at the same time the next node down started a new branch! I kept trying to save mother but once the spike start to brown from the bottom - not too long before mother plant died - I knew I had to cut the keiki off even if it didn't have roots.

Sorry for the repeats here if you've read posts by me elsewhere talking about this plant. I cut the spike just below the node that was growing a new branch. It wound up btw growing a bud that soon blasted. I put it in a plastic bottle and filled it with water/Kelpmax/Klite so the end of the spike was in the water. Then I put it outside in the spring when it was safe (weather-wise).

Putting it outside made it happier b/c of the rain and higher humidity, especially since it was starting to dehydrate. Now finally in the last couple weeks it started growing its first root after growing another leaf. Meanwhile the node below it is also growing a keiki & the keiki's spike is growing a new branch! Needless to say I'm having a great time watching this little thing do whatever it feels like. ;)

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What a great save for a orchid that just doesn't want to give up. I look forward to seeing how it does in the coming months ahead.

I will also be interested in seeing what happens with that little trooper.

Thank you! I'm anxious as well. For a while I was nervous b/c it didn't have any roots whereas the only other keikis I've dealt with seemed to grow roots right away. I was really bummed to have lost the mother plant as I really like the flowers and I love the coloration on the edges of the leaves. I feel so fortunate to have this keiki & the chance to still have this plant even if it it has a really long way to 'grow' before I see anymore blooms. Now for there to be another keiki! Oh man, the pressure is on to be a better grower. ;)


Here's the mother plant when I first got it from Hausermann's last spring:

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It is sure a pretty Phal no wonder you wanted to save it.

You can also take the stem and remove the bracks around one of the nodes that never flowered. You place it to the point where the bud is after you remove the bracks into some multiplication media.

This will give you the same orchid and will be a adult is less then 2 years for your Phal. "Stem Culture."..

My orchids, even phals are way happier outside. A new friend found I was interested in orchids and I was "gifted" with 10 phals partially eaten by a Parrot named Micheal. I have a lot of Kiekies now. I also have a strange phal with leaves on the spike as I have seen here on Orchid board.

Cool! Orchid owning is filled with amazing events, right?

I am glad your phal is doing so much better, I never saw the story so thank you for sharing! That is a beautiful phal and I hope it flowers for you again.

Thanks for the suggestion, that sounds interesting. I didn't just the whole spike just the top portion right under the node that you see in the picture has a spike and is now growing another keiki of that spike. Right now with two keikis I think I'm set but I will keep this in mind.

You're absolutely right about amazing events! That's pretty awesome they 'gifted' you any plants let alone 10! I've got Parrots so I just laughed to see this. I gotta keep my two far from the orchids or they'll bite them just out of curiosity. And now you have tons of keikis, wow you'll have to share with us and give some tips on taking care of these guys. Sounds like you'll be an expert keiki grower in the end. ;)



Well thank you. The keiki seems to be doing well but the pictures above - the blooms - are actually old, that was when I first got the mother plant who's dead and gone now. If all goes well I may get a bloom or two on this keiki. :)

As I posted elsewhere on this forum, a keiki on my now dead Phal took 2 years to bloom and actually has 2 spikes, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.