Help! I’m an orchid newbie and my plant won’t stop growing!

[Kellsbells]

Having a healthy, growing orchid is not a bad problem I’m sure you’ll agree, but I’m not sure what to do next.

I’ve been searching the internet to understand what these stems are with the small leaves but can’t seem to find any info. What would people suggest I do in terms of pruning these back, along with the dead/wooden stems? Do people keep these as decorative additions or am I better to get rid of them? A couple of the dead stems go right into the roots and it was this way when I was given it.

Other than that, the plant has been flowering for the last 5 months consistently (spring and summer), new leaves have been growing at the base and I can see some aerial root growth now happening.

[Kruger]

What am I looking at??? Are those a bunch of keikis? What is the condition of the potting media?

Edit: If that is what it seems, I've never seen a plant put out a more vibrant distress call...

[Kellsbells]

@Kruger I have no idea! I read about keikis and they don’t appear to match that description - the leaves are entirely different! I’m hoping someone can help me identify what is going on so if it is in distress as you say, I can help a sister out!

[Kellsbells]

I have added more photos to show a close up of the leaves and the potting media - I was given the orchid approx 5 months ago in this pot so I’m not 100% sure what it is?
It keeps growing new base leaves and flowering so I have just presumed it was relatively healthy but perhaps I am wrong?!

[fishmom]

A wild guess here--it looks to me as though you have a weed growing in with your white phalaenopsis orchid. Have you ever re-potted this orchid? If you do, i bet you will find plump orchid roots intertwined with fine roots from that free-loader plant.


Welcome to the forum! We have a great thread here about phalaenopsis care: The Phal abuse ends here.

[Mountaineer370]

Ah-ha! I think fishmom may be onto something. It shouldn't be too difficult to trace one of those wild leafy growths back downward to its source to determine if it's something coming out from below the surface of the media. I will be totally flabbergasted if you tell us it is actually originating from the body of the Phalaenopsis somehow. Maybe you can gather up the supplies you need for a repot and solve the mystery.

[aliceinwl]

Is it possible that the stake used to support the orchid flower stalk was actually living and has started generating leaves? Otherwise, I’d second the opinion that some other plant is cohabiting with your orchid.

Keikis (baby orchids sprouting from the flower stalk, and not what I think you have going on) are not necessarily a signal of distress. Depending on the species ancestry of the parent plant, certain plants are prone to produce them even when healthy as a means of vegetative reproduction.

Keep an eye on the roots through the pot. This is the best way to gauge health and determine when you need to repot. Given the “interloper” you may want to repot regardless of the state of the roots and media before the two become too intertwined.

[Roberta]

Since it looks like the "interloper" is tied with a twine bow to the plant, I think that it was part of a decorative arrangement. Plants often get chosen for aesthetics to put in gift plants with Phals, with no thought as to whether they want similar conditions. If that's the case, the other plant is probably keeping the medium 'way too wet, so a good reason to repot (without it)

[orchididentification]

[RoryOMoore]

Looks like bamboo