What is the long term effect of breaking an orchid spike?

[vmax3000]

This may be more of a beginner's topic, and if so, I apologize for the mis-assignment. In the process of an accident in my greenhouse, two spikes on two plants got snapped off......(I need a smilie yelling NNNOOOOO!). Since these plants have been planning these flowers for a year, now (they are both annual bloomers), where does all of that "energy" or "effort" go, now that I have unwittingly thwarted it? Does it stunt the plant's ability to bloom? Does it mean that it may put on more blossoms next year? I know with some plants, one can pinch the tips and receive good results....not that I am advocating cutting off bloom spikes from any of my orchids, but I cringed and cursed, yesterday, after it happened. Then I just started wandering what effect this will have on these two plants in the long run. Thanks for the opportunity to learn!

[RenéeS]

Yikes, that sucks !!! (I know how you must feel!) So frustrating to lose your blooms. What plants were they?
For as far as I know, it doesn't affect future blooms. I have had same accidents happen in the past and it didn't change the plant's 'schedule'.
Wait and see what others may think, since i really am not sure .

[ronaldhanko]

Shouldn't affect future blooming if the plants are well grown - the only bad effect patience - now you have to wait another year!!!!!!

[camille1585]

I think reading your thread yesterday brought me bad luck! I snapped a spike on a phal while watering. For some types orchids I think if they really want to bloom, they will make another spike. I know phals can do that if the snapped spike was really young, but I don't know about others. Sadly otherwise it means having to wait another year for blooms.

[orchids3]

Phals often will regenerate a spike from a lower node after you break off the top. Cymbidiums will not.

[vmax3000]

One was Phal. amboinensis, the other was a catesetum hybrid. I was crestfallen. For me, developing patience is probably one of the better things I could do with my time. Sorry about your spike, Camille. I would never intentionally "curse" a post....

[Undergrounder]

As Camille mentioned, they could still send up another spike, Phals do that quite often when you snap a flower spike. Or it could even send out a lateral spike from one of the nodes near the bottom of the spike, they can do that also.

But if it doesn't spike again, then all that 'energy' that it hasn't put into flowering will instead be used in growing new leaves. So even though it would flower the same time next year, there may be more stored energy in the leaves that it can use to flower a bigger spike with more flowers.

[johnblagg]

awww man thats to bad but the phal will most likley as everyone has told you make a secondary spike.This happens all the time.the other one wjo knows .

As stated above the only long term effect is you have to wait and they will put all the energy into new growth or store it for next year.

[jowben1]

I inadvertantly broke off about 6"of spike from a noid Phal. last year when bringing it indoors. Lo and behold, it branched out from the break, and flowerd on time, and just as profusely as the previous year.(Lucky me, as that was the only one in my collection, that my wife purchased).