Myth Busting and fake orchid info.

[Henry]

Ok I searched the Myth Busting thread and did not find anything about Terminal Spikes.
I'm wondering whether to post this, but it nags.

On youtube, duh, this content creator said a Terminal Spike will kill the orchid.
And even went so far as to say commercial growers were intentionally selling these to increase sales.
And even said other youtubers were intentionally putting out bad info so more orchids would be sold.

Of course being a fresh newbie I was shocked and bought the story hook, line, and sinker!
I even subscribed!
Maybe she's a member here and can defend this position.

I'm still reading up on the searches for Terminal Spikes elsewhere and trying to understand how Terminal Spikes work.
But really, these youtubers with their "add this" and you'll get a hundred roots!
It's like a minefield of misinformation.

[Waterdog111]

There are substances that influence plants to grow more roots, but if it can be dreamed up, someone will put it out on the internet,that definently includes utube(so much hype that it can be like sifting through dung) . Do you remember what Ford said when someone asked him to explain something? He said he had someone that would do that for him.

[Ray]

There are three, basic apical meristems (growth fronts that contain undifferentiated “stem cells”), root, shoot, and inflorescence. They are stimulated into action (multiplication and differentiation) by hormones within the plant.

Sometimes, whether a natural freak or induced, the shoot meristem gets induced to differentiate into inflorescence cells instead of leaves. Boom! Terminal spike. “Terminal” in this case, refers to the growth “terminus”, not that it is a fatal condition.

Give the plant proper care, and it will eventually form a new growth front elsewhere. It is what happens when to “top” a plant to make it bushy.

[Mountaineer370]

I'm just curious. Where is the "myth busting" thread you refer to? I have never seen it and would be interested in browsing a bit.

[Henry]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer370

I'm just curious. Where is the "myth busting" thread you refer to? I have never seen it and would be interested in browsing a bit.

It's a sticky in Beginner Discussion...
"The Phal abuse ends here"
I double dare ya to read the whole thread!

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Here is an example. This plant had blooms on the terminal spike which produced a keiki (which is now on its own in a pot). The spike to the left is still holding blooms. At some point I expect to see a new basal growth emerge.

[Roberta]

Phals (and other monopodial orchids) have multiple ways to grow and propagate. The main way to grow is vertical- from a single grown point (on Phals, the crown). However, at some point the crown stops growing. Sometimes due to physical damage, sometimes things like crown rot. Or, at some point it just reaches its end. (When have you ever seen a 6 foot/2 meter Phal???) When it stops growing vertically. it can propagate by producing pups (basal growths) from the same root system, and form a clump.

The term "terminal" with regard to the spike from the crown does not mean "death". More like a train terminal, the end of the line. (It then grows along other "lines")

[Mountaineer370]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer370

I'm just curious. Where is the "myth busting" thread you refer to? I have never seen it and would be interested in browsing a bit.

Originally Posted by Henry

It's a sticky in Beginner Discussion...
"The Phal abuse ends here"
I double dare ya to read the whole thread!

Oh, that one. I'm well-aware of that thread and referred to it often when I was new here. You referred to it as the "Myth Busting Thread," which is why I was confused. I never thought of it that way.

[estación seca]

I tried to stop mything my orchids.

[Roberta]

Just a reminder that orchids do things slowly. If that truly was a "terminal spike" it may still take months, or even a year or more, to start basal growths. In the meantime, the plant just sits there doing what plants do... If it is healthy, it will propagate (or not) on its own time frame. Patience...you'll learn a lot by just observing.