Why is my Phal bloom spike a hook shape?

[twinkie]

I have no idea why this bloom spike took a turn Southwards. I haven't moved it and have been keeping humidity levels high. Light source didn't suddenly start coming from below and it's in front of a North facing window. The only thing I can think of is that the SOUTH window light was enticing so it decided to go for a beam of it??? What can I do to entice it to straighten out besides put a grow light up above?

[SouthPark]

I think the flowers will just orient themselves properly at the last moment - maybe based on gravity (even if the spike has that shape) --- ie. the flowers will likely still be oriented properly when it comes flower opening time. So it should be fine in the end. Usually pans out ok in the end.

[camille1585]

It looks like there's a thin layer of tissue in the hook. I'm guessing something went wrong when the spike was growing, and the abnormal cell growth drew the spike downwards. That bend will probably never go away, and I'm not sure how much it will straighten out given that it's now facing straight down.

I wouldn't change anything and just let it be. Changing the light direction now might affect the orientation of the buds. It might start curving up again. And if it doesn't, I know that some mass growers purposefully train spikes to bend grow downwards or at an angle and sell them for a lot of money. Lucky you to get it for free!

[Dollythehun]

To me, that spike looks like it has been scraped or damaged at the point of the bend. I agree with Camille, enjoy. Few of us have perfect orchids.

[twinkie]

Aw shucks, thanks everyone. I've been scurrying around moving pots trying to get this one into a better light angle and then moved them all back again after reading these lol.

Barring a knock on the noggin, is it possible that bloom stalks are such light seeking missiles they can dive towards whatever angle of sun they can possibly get? My stalks are so tall, yet the angle of the sun up here where I live is really low, and some of the top stalks are actually higher than where the sun really enters well. I know that sounds weird but some of the best light is now much lower in the room compared to the stands the pots are on. I'm kinda thinking it was a bump too, but it is awfully dark on this North side where it lives, and if it's seeking true light, the rays are coming in low from the other side of the room. The more I look at them am seeing the orchids on the very upper shelves have stalks arching more downwards compared to the ones I have sitting 2 feet below. These lower ones are still angling stalks up/horizontal with blooms.

The ones that I know more or less always put out really tall stalks I try to put on the bottom shelves and weird thing is they are all facing the same direction following the arc of the sun as it swings left to right, all are facing right which would be the last weak rays of the day (if we're lucky to have any).

The only thing different this Winter is that I haven't been running an overhead grow light up above them, thought I'd just let them do what comes naturally with our deficient light levels and see what happens.

I might have to buy an all one level low plant stand and see what happens next year. It's only the bloom stalks on the tallest stands that have a more pronounced downward droop. I wonder....and I'm trying hard not to put on my jeweler's glasses and see if I can perform surgery on ole hook haha, it does look like there's some kind of webby thing in that neck. Oh I'll leave it alone, it might look really great afterall

[Kruger]

It should still produce nice flowers. Sometimes what we want the plants to do and what the plants end up doing aren't always the same thing. Shouldn't be cause for disappointment. I think life would be rather boring if everything was perfect all the time.