Question on Bracts and Nodes - Orchid Board

Pilot · #1 04-04-2009, 07:06 PM

Hello!

I have a question about the little bracts (not sure if I spelled that correctly) and the nodes on the spike of one of my phals. Despite having checked out and read every single orchid book in the Douglas County Library system, I have not heard them mention what I'm seeing. The phals in question is this guy.

I have read that when a spike has finished flowering one might be able to cut below the lowest location of a bloom on a spike but above the next node in hopes of getting the spike to bloom again. My yellow-green phal is in full bloom and is actively growing and opening new buds-- so it is not finished! However, the two node below the lowest bloom on one of the spikes has swelled and are breaking out of the bracts covering the nodes. The bracts and the nodes are noticeably greener than my other phals that are blooming now, which display a more purple/dark green color.

I know some nodes can turn into keikis and as mentioned above you can get more blooms to come out of those lower nodes-- but do any of these things happen while the plant is actively blooming? I wish I had noticed them before-- to see if they really are growing something. But as I said, they looked like the nodes on my two other phals until today they were very noticeably different.

Your thoughts? I can try to score a pic but my computer is being unpleasant today.

camille1585 · #2 04-04-2009, 07:12 PM

Sounds like your phal is up to something, either a keiki or side spike! I think usually they wait until they are done blooming to wake up those nodes, but what you're describing is exactly what one of my phals is doing! Shortly after i got it in january (in partial bloom) the highest node woke up and started a side spike. It grew about an inch, and stalled.
Another one of my phals is a phal equestris hybrid (a prolific keikier) and at every single blooming a node wakes up halfway through blooming, stalls a bit, and then grows into a keiki once the blooms are gone. I can take a pic to show you tomorrow.

These plants have minds of their own, and love playing with our minds!