Thickness of phalaenopsis flower spikes

[BrassCat]

Hi All, wondering your thoughts on the importance of the thickness of flower spikes from phalaenopsis…I have some phals with very thick spikes and some with much thinner spikes. Is it bad if the spike is thin? The plants are healthy with strong roots and leaves, but I’ve had the plants with thinner spikes about a year and this is the first spikes they’ve grown for me. Would love to hear any thoughts!

[Ray]

My guess is that part of that is genetic and part is cultural. Enjoy them either way.

[rbarata]

In my experience some Phals have thinner spikes while others have them thicker. Eventually, as they develop, they'll get thicker.

[Dimples]

I agree with Ray. A few of mine put out monster thick spikes, and some put out more “normal” thickness spikes (roughly the size of a pencil), but stressed or overtaxed plants will put out thinner and shorter spikes than they otherwise would. I wouldn’t worry about it unless it continues.

[Burgos]

I don't think it interferes with the wellbeing of the plant or the quality of the blossoms. Some grow stronger flower stems but have a regular flower count, some grow thinner spikes and have a similar flower count and size.

[MateoinLosAngeles]

I don't think it's something to worry about. In my experience, the older the plant, the harder it is to know what "bothered it" during the year. I evaluate my culture more on the number, longevity, and size of flowers than on the thickness of the spike. More mature plants do tend to produce thicker spikes in my experience. However, genetics play a big role.

I would only worry about maintaining a consistent culture throughout the year with proper feeding, watering, and light. If your phals dry out too much and too often that might not completely affect vegetative growth but might reflect a weaker flowering, if you can keep it all consistently "just right" for them, you might notice an improvement.

Some growers consider that Phals bloom better when given lower light throughout the year and briefly increasing it during a few weeks in late fall/winter. Some people on this forum have shared such information.

I've seen growers cut the flower spike early when they see it's not going to produce the big show they desire, in order to force the orchid to reserve more energy and attempt at a more showy spike the following year.

Your mileage may vary but if you're able to grow an orchid and make it spike under your care, you are certainly doing something right.