What is this new growth on my Psychopsis?

[Susie11]

Originally Posted by camille1585

That's still a growth IMO, too fat for a spike. And it's growing as slowly as a growth does. I had a spike just starting when you last posted, and it has grown nearly 3 inches since then.

Oooh kay then. I thought that it was more spike like but now that you have said that I will accept what you have said. It is a growth Oh well. Never mind. Thanks Camille

[camille1585]

Just to be sure, I'll peel back the papery leaf covering the base of the spike on mine to see exactly how it began. Have to look tomorrow though, the plant's at the office.

[Susie11]

Originally Posted by camille1585

Just to be sure, I'll peel back the papery leaf covering the base of the spike on mine to see exactly how it began. Have to look tomorrow though, the plant's at the office.

Thanks Camille. I am just wondering if I will have to wait until the next leaf grows to the length of the oldest one which originally spiked. What I am asking is when will I get a new spike? Can it be at any time or will it only be when the next largest pbulb and leaf has matured?

[camille1585]

The two spikes that mine has produced so far have appeared well after the growth finished maturing. Both years the bulb was completely mature by late fall, and the spike appeared late march. It could be a lighting issue that makes mine spike when it does. Even though it's in a south window, over here in the winter there are much more cloudy days than sunny ones.

[Susie11]

Originally Posted by camille1585

The two spikes that mine has produced so far have appeared well after the growth finished maturing. Both years the bulb was completely mature by late fall, and the spike appeared late march. It could be a lighting issue of course. Even though it's in a south window, over here in the winter there are much more cloudy days than sunny ones.

Thanks Camille. So I guess that I have a long wait then. That is why I really wanted it to be a spike because all of the other growth's leaves are half as long as the one that was in spike before the virus got at it and I had to chop it off!
Patience is obviously going to have to be applied liberally to my little psy.

[camille1585]

The leaves are only half the size? If it really was a virus, then it was likely not just in the stem, but the plant as well. That could explain the poor growth. One stunted leaf can happen, but in a healthy plant (not just pyschopsis), the following leaves should be progressively larger again. Any pics of the entire plant, and possibly of that spike you cut off?

[Susie11]

Originally Posted by camille1585

The leaves are only half the size? If it really was a virus, then it was likely not just in the stem, but the plant as well. That could explain the poor growth. One stunted leaf can happen, but in a healthy plant (not just pyschopsis), the following leaves should be progressively larger again. Any pics of the entire plant, and possibly of that spike you cut off?

Here is the virused spike that I cut off back in ?? Feb - I think

[Susie11]

I will take a pic of the whole plant tomorrow as the light is going now but I was advised by the seller to just cut the spike and then just wait for the next pbulb to mature. He didn't say that the whole plant would be infected though. This new growth started just after the spike was cut which is why I though that it could be a replacement spike.

[camille1585]

The whole plant would be infected only if it was a virus, which I'm fairly certain it wasn't. Looks like rot instead.
I realized that I might have misunderstood something. The small leaves are on growths older than the one that bloomed? Then those are likely normal, the plant was probably still a baby then. And if the nubbin is on the bulb that had spiked, then anyway it's more likely to be a growth rather than a spike (though I don't know if Psychopsis bulbs are capable of multiple spikes.

[Susie11]

Originally Posted by camille1585

The whole plant would be infected only if it was a virus, which I'm fairly certain it wasn't. Looks like rot instead.
I realized that I might have misunderstood something. The small leaves are on growths older than the one that bloomed? Then those are likely normal, the plant was probably still a baby then. And if the nubbin is on the bulb that had spiked, then anyway it's more likely to be a growth rather than a spike (though I don't know if Psychopsis bulbs are capable of multiple spikes.

Oh golly am I silly sometimes!! Yes you are right, it was rot not a virus!! I have got another pic of the whole plant



As you can see the oldest leaf was quite alot longer than the other ones which are still maturing so I guess that I have a long wait ahead of me.