Spike Care

[Blueszz]

Recently my Mom asked where to cut the spikes from her Phal's. Often you read to cut above the second or third from below. While on the phone with my Mom I walked over to my white NOID in spike and saw that node 3 and 4 on both old spike (from previous season) had the new growths on them. Knowing this plant the spikes stay green for two seasons, than turn brown. If not, I'll cut them back again and keep all nodes that they still have on them.
BTW I also tried to cut sub spikes and leaving the nodes on them... but it seems to me that the flowers from these sub sub spikes are much smaller and the spikes much thinner and that the nodes on the main spike don't wake up as often. Only my observations, don't know if this is a rule that can be applied to all Phalaenopsis.

Also, I have plants that keep growing buds on the tip of the main spike, I don't cut these unless they are getting too long to handle for me. When I cut these back, they mostly develop sub spikes.

This year I have a plant that kept it's old spikes green but didn't grow sub spikes on previous season spikes... will watch them to see what they'll do during their second year.

Peeper, no thanks! I too like to hear about others experiences and writing down my own lets me think about my own culture practices.

Have a nice evening!
Nicole