Peristeria spike or new growth

[adritakar]

Hello। This is adrita from West bengal, india। Recently I came across this peristeria on an online orchid nursery and bought it। It has been in my care since 2 months। It is beginning to grow a ton of new growths with the advent of our monsoon season, but there is one particular nubbin who has confused me whether it's a growth or a spike! Can you help me to identify it?Some tips regarding culture would be welcome too।

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

I grow this plant. If you use the Search or Advanced Search function above in the maroon menu you can find threads about the plant.

I can't tell whether your plant is making a spike. It's not the proper season, but who knows? You will find out soon enough.

In general, this plant is a winter-deciduous terrestrial plant. It likes a very fast-draining and loose, but moisture-retentive potting mix, like its Cymbidium relatives.

It becomes a large plant that needs a large pot, and will not grow to full potential in a smaller pot. I am growing mine in a 5 gallon (19 liter) pot, the kind commonly used for selling landscape plants here.

During the growing season it needs plentiful water and fertilizer. It grows on forest margins in habitat, so it gets very strong light. I can't grow it in my dry, hot sun or the leaves burn.

It will continue producing growths all spring and summer. As fall progresses, stop watering and let it go completely dry. The leaves will drop. Leave it dry until flower spikes are well advanced.

Without the dry winter it will not flower. If you continue to water, and temperatures are appropriate, it will remain in continuous growth without flowering. It's probably a good idea to keep smaller plants in continuous growth, with no winter rest, so they reach flowering size faster.

[adritakar]

Thank you for the useful pointers. I guessed about the winter dry spell thing but wasn't so sure. I ll keep that in mind now. Most cymbidiums won't flower in my climate because the day night differential is not that high. I just hope the peristeria is a bit kinder and decides to smile upon me. I will grow it in semi shade as well as direct noonday sun will surely scorch it's leaves at my place. From what I learnt from you, I don't think mine is at blooming size yet though it was sold to me as such. Never mind. It's lush green palm like leaves, and it's plump pseudobulbs will add interest to my balcony till it decides to flower.

[estación seca]

This one does get somewhat cooler temperatures in winter in habitat, but I have seen people in Puerto Rico (tropics) reporting it flowers regularly for them. PR winters are not very different from summers other than rainfall. I don't think temperature affects flowering, and I expect it will flower well with a warm winter.

[yug]

Mine would not bloom unless I withheld fertilizer and greatly reduced watering during cooler months. I didn't know what I was doing for the first 3 years I had it, and it grew lots of vegetative growth because I never cut back on feeding / watering, but never bloomed. Once I figured it out, I got blooms.