what is this?

[tasha]

I think these are called secondary spikes! Congrats and don’t cut them because they will yield more flowers! My moms orchid is doing this right now.

[tedro]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer370

I can see the pictures fine. It looks like, after it got done with its first blooms, it decided to put out new spikes, plural, from the old one. I have seen this happen, though that is a lot more branches than I think I have seen at one time on a rebloom. It's also unusual (to me) that most of the spikes seem to be growing downward.

I have one right now that had been in bloom for months from a single spike, and as those flowers were getting old and ready to start dropping, it just started growing again from the end of that original spike, getting longer and longer, with more flowers than it had the first time around. At the same time, it's putting out another spike from another location.

If there's one thing I've learned from growing orchids, it is that they will do pretty much whatever they want to. They love to surprise us (or keep us wondering what, if anything, they're going to do).

By the way, welcome to the Orchid Board!

Thanks! it’s just one “new branch,” but the buds and the whole thing is weird looking!
Here’s a few more! Last one is just now.
What’s that all about!!!

[WaterWitchin]

I think that "weird" secondary spike is gonna be gorgeous. Enjoy!

[tedro]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

I think that "weird" secondary spike is gonna be gorgeous. Enjoy!

I hope so!

Here’s another pic. oops it went sideways.
Looks like some arms all molded together, with lots of tiny buds.

[tedro]

Do orchids need darkness, as some flowering plants do, in order to start budding or for buds to start flowering?
Do they need darkness at all?

Thanks

[Veksa]

Originally Posted by tedro

Do orchids need darkness, as some flowering plants do, in order to start budding or for buds to start flowering?
Do they need darkness at all?

Thanks

Insufficient light may play the opposite role and slow plant's growth. I think it is more of a difference of day/night temperature or more cool temperatures in fall/winter that signal to bloom.

[tedro]

Originally Posted by Veksa

Insufficient light may play the opposite role and slow plant's growth. I think it is more of a difference of day/night temperature or more cool temperatures in fall/winter that signal to bloom.

Hi,
Thanks. I’m aware of the role temperatures play. And, of varied types and amounts of light.

But, I’ve been trying to find a yes or no answer to the question: do orchids require darkness?

here’s an artsy photo i took awhile after i first got it. hope you like it!

[DirtyCoconuts]

yes, all plants need rest -

while the cycle might not be as dramatically defined as some plants (will not flower without X hours of total darkness) the Orchid will exhaust itself and never adjust it s hormones for different functions without getting cues from the light and dark

[Roberta]

DirtyCoconuts is correct, plants need nighttime. Some are pickier than others - most will be OK with low indoor light (like nightlights) or streetlights. But blooming may be inhibited with that much nighttime light for the more sensitive ones.

Think about what they get in nature - tropical orchids have adapted to environments where days and nights are pretty much equal all year. At higher latitudes there is more variation with the seasons, but there are very few orchids that grow in areas with no darkness at all (even at the Arctic circle light is dimmer even if not fully dark, and the few terrestrial orchids that grow that far north do their blooming in spring where they do have day and night)

[tedro]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

yes, all plants need rest -

while the cycle might not be as dramatically defined as some plants (will not flower without X hours of total darkness) the Orchid will exhaust itself and never adjust it s hormones for different functions without getting cues from the light and dark

perhaps an artificial light and a colder temp produced both the re-spike and the apparent deformities.
in many blooming plants too many hours of light can cause strange elongations. also, it’ll be interesting, if it survives, if these buds stay small and produce tiny flowers.

i still haven’t seen one live or in photos that are doing this. trying to figure out what causes the deformity. just for the sake of knowing or having an idea.
could be mine didn’t get enough rest, idk.

i asked the grocery where i bought it if the lights ever go out. answer: not really; for 3 hrs there are off but there is still light from certain areas. interesting!