Help with broken bloom spike

[gjposner]

So today I was moving my Phal out of the window, it is decently large, maybe 5 years old since the last owner had it, has 3 full and 1 new leaf along with a plethora of new roots. It also is growing a new bloom spike, it is less than 6 inches long at the moment as it is still growing. It is light green feels like wax and the tip is a darker, yet still lighter than older mature spikes. I snapped it half way about 15 min ago... not a full snap, I was just moving it back onto its shelf out of the window and my hand slipped and hit the new spike... is there anything I can do/worry about... I do quite love this orchis as it gave me 2 bloom spikes last year and something like 30 flowers... I kept the old spikes on it in hopes of re-growth but nothing yet... I would quite like flowers this year but I am not so sure that I am going to get any now... can anyone help me? I am not too well read on these plants, I re-potted it myself, in a coconut 10inch square pot with special Phal orchid medium from my nursery back home... the guy makes it all himself and gives it out for free if you can tell him the species of your orchid... and found oddly that it likes orkin bug killer as from time to time small white things move around, maybe 4 or 5 when i water it, so i dust the medium with this spray and the plant seems to grow best when i do it... yea it confuses me too... but it works... i have not sprayed the medium in months as it is winter in Florida and not too cold. I am just worried that the orchid wont give me flowers this year... it would be quite saddening, as a 20 year old heterosexual male, the girlfriend loves flowers... I have been hoping that she could enjoy them with me this year... any hope?

Thank you in advance,

Grant
Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, Florida

[Lana]

This happened to me just a few months ago... I kind of broke the spike with buds already formed, but didn't break it all the way; the broken part was hanging still attached to the main spike. Well, I attached a wire bent in the form of this spike to the original stake with the usual orchid spike clips, and then attached the spike to this wire support in several places with the same clips. The idea was to mimic the way the spike was growing, so the spike couldn't hang, and the place where the spike broke wasn't "pinched". It worked for me. After this, all the buds opened, and I did get a couple of months of blooms. I'm sure others will give you better suggestions, too.

[gjposner]

this one actually broke when my hand slipped upward, its still attached and not hanging since the split is on the bottom.. I will use wire and clips in the morning unless someone gives me a better idea. What kind of wire? I was going to use like 16 gauge solid copper wire to do the trick, with sheathing of course... unless something else will work better... its just 1am, i sprayed the orchid before bed, like usual, so hopefully it will be okay still by morning...

[Lana]

Uhm... I just took a cheap wire hanger and used that wire because it was easy to bend yeah, not much thought there, but I felt I needed to act quickly, so there is was. I hope whatever you do works well for you. Good luck!

[RosieC]

I've also had success with staking the top so that it is in full contact with the lower part and doesn't hang. The flower bloomed great.

In another case I bought one cheep where it had broken, it had been left longer and the top section didn't survive... however within a couple of weeks there was a new side spike growing from just below the break.

[gjposner]

Originally Posted by Lana

Uhm... I just took a cheap wire hanger and used that wire because it was easy to bend yeah, not much thought there, but I felt I needed to act quickly, so there is was. I hope whatever you do works well for you. Good luck!

I would like to extend my greatest thanks!! It worked! I was gone for a week, the towel dried out and sometime during then the plant fixed itself! I am quite happy!! Thank you do much for your advice, however I did not ever use wire to hold it, it held itself, but its doing great, getting a nice long watering now as I type! Thanks again!!!!!

[Lana]

Great news! I hope you'll get lots of blooms you and your honey can enjoy