When spikes begin to die... - Orchid Board

cythaenopsis · #1 07-27-2011, 03:40 AM

My first phal didn't get a pruning after its first blooming cycle. The spikes remained green so I left them alone. Next blooming cycle I got more than double the flowers.

This time, about a month after the last flower fell off, I started to notice a few branching spike ends beginning to darken. I ended up pruning them back to where the spikes were still a healthy green. I covered the cut ends with cinnamon to help ward off infection. All seemed fine. Then a couple of weeks later, those cut spike tips started to turn a reddish brown... and this traveled all the way back to the main spikes. I guess those branched spikes were destined to die. Anyway, the main spikes (I have a double phal) still look healthy. I'm just wondering if I can expect them to flower again, or will these spikes eventually die off and completely new ones will grow in their place? Both crowns are still in the process of growing new leaves.

Cym Ladye · #2 07-27-2011, 01:17 PM

On a healthy plant, it is common to get a re-bloom from the spike, branched or not. However, for the sake of the plant, it may be wise to cut the main spike down after the second blooming. You might be able to get another blooming if you cut it down to just above the 2nd node on the stem depending on the health of the plant.

I usually cut mine all the way down after the rebloom and repot the plants for a fresh start on the next season.

CL

cythaenopsis · #3 07-28-2011, 03:29 PM

^ Thanks, Cym.

Already I'm starting to notice the tips of the main spikes are a little darkened, relative to the rest of the plant. The branched spikes have turned completely red. I take it that the plant stops giving nutrients and takes them back, which causes this effect.

I see what you're saying now... whereas a lot of people talk about cutting back the spikes right after blooming, it should be qualified with the type of phal... that some may bloom twice from an existing spike, so best to leave it alone after the first blooming and then prune after the second, correct?

Cym Ladye · #4 07-29-2011, 01:29 PM

I tend to cut down the first spike to just above two nodes from the base and let it regrow/rebloom from that point on for the large flowered phals. With the multiflorals, you probably could just leave them alone. This second bloom will not be as heavy as the first but should give you a nice show!

CL

cythaenopsis · #5 08-04-2011, 10:56 PM

Well, I cut my "double phal" down to just above the 2nd node from the base. One spike is doing fine. The other... well, it's continuing to die. The whole spike is turning a reddish brown. Most of the pruned phals I've seen have the original spike with a dried up ending and a new spike emerging from it. Is it common for the whole spike to die off?

cythaenopsis · #6 08-06-2011, 01:34 PM

The pruned spike in the foreground has yellowed and is dying, all the way to the base. I pruned this one and the spike behind it. As you can see the rear one from this view is seemingly healthy. This is a "double phal"; when I bought it there were two spikes and two sets of leaves, one set smaller than the other. I thought it was just a branching out from the main one, but it does look like one might be the keiki of the other, or the seller who potted it didn't notice the smaller orchid plant growing next to the larger one.

When I repotted it, the roots were pretty seriously intertwined. I decided to leave them together, rather than risk damage in separation. I basically removed the plants from the pot, took off all the moss, trimmed back the dead roots, repacked the moss with the plant and reseated it (there weren't so many roots that the plant needed a bigger pot).

Anyway, I'm just concerned if the smaller plant with the dying spike is OK, or if this effect of the whole spike dying not a good one. If not, anything I can do to help it?

tucker85 · #7 08-06-2011, 02:47 PM

Your plant looks very healthy and what's happening to the spike is perfectly natural. On large phals the spike usually blooms and then dries up and turns brown. Most people cut them off an inch or two from the base but it doesn't matter one way or the other. Occasionally phals will rebloom on the same spike by sending up a branch from one of the nodes along the spike. If that's going to happen, the stem will stay green up to that node until the branch starts to grow. If the whole spike has turned brown it's not going to rebloom. A word of warning though. Some of the small novelty phals with the short spikes will bloom year after year on the same spike. So be careful with phals that have spikes that only get to about 6" until you know for sure if it will rebloom or not. The large phals will send up a new spike each year. Good luck.

cythaenopsis · #8 08-06-2011, 03:30 PM

Thank you, Tucker.

This particular plant had two blooming cycles on the existing spikes (over 12" long each, so definitely not a novelty species). After that, the spikes began to show signs of dying off. That's when I took to pruning them. At first, everything was fine--the cut ends dried up and the spikes remained green. But when I saw this one turn reddish then yellow/brown, I was worried that there might be something wrong, like a fungal infection.

When I pulled out the moss, some of it had a white mold on it, which I removed. The rest of the moss seemed fine, so I reused it because I didn't have any moss on hand. I did buy some new moss when I repotted my other plants... I've been thinking that maybe I should refresh the moss on this one, just in case. What do you think?