5 nubs and new leaf - hope one becomes spike

[tsun1108]

Thanks for all the tips on orchid board

Got given a phal from mum after it's done its blooming in October which is a healthy mature plants with 10+ leaf.

Since gotten it, I have repotted into new bark medium seeing that I wasn't sure how long it had been in the old medium for, and I found great root mass with no root rot . I water it with weak fertiliser each time.

It's happily growing a new leaf at the moment. And while I was checking on it today, I found total of 5 nubs around the base of the plants (one is definitely root because it's growing downwards), and as you can see on the picture, there are two more nubs, and this "whitish" ? nub looking structure which I cant seem to tell what it is although I first noticed it 2 weeks ago and it hadn't shown any change.

Anyone know what it is?

And hopefully one of the nubs will turn out to be spike!

[Paul Mc]

Congrats!!! Keep us posted!

[zxyqu]

Well new roots are a great thing, though not always what we want. I see at least 3 nubs and all are roots.

[tsun1108]

Is that whitish nub also root?

There is another one at the front which I couldn't photograph.

Spike will be ideal but roots are good I guess afterall its healthy

[zxyqu]

Looks like it from the photo, but always just a guess until it's one or the other for sure.

[violetta]

I also believe they're roots. The new spike will grow above the old spike and not below it. Did you check among the upper leaves for nubs?

[RosieC]

I believe they are roots.

The whitish one looks like a root that is trapped by the leaves (I wouldn't try and do anything about that it's likely to do more damage than good to try). It sometimes happens and the whitish colour is because it's older and Ariel roots tend to turn silvery as they age, only the tip is usually green.

[JerseyGirlBecky]

Well, I am not sure about this, but, anytime they get a nub between the leaves it seems to turn out to be a spike. All my roots come out around the bottom of the leaves. I have 9 phals and 3 mini phals. Seven of them are in spike. Five of them have the flowers open and two are still in bud. Soo, any time I see something coming between the leaves I think it is probably a spike.

[tsun1108]

Where I am, it's mid-summer at the moment so I wouldn't be too surprised if they are all roots (thought you need drop in temperature to induce spike growth).

It didn't show up on the photograph, but there is another little nub just coming out between the leaves above the whitish nub.

[violetta]

Originally Posted by JerseyGirlBecky

Well, I am not sure about this, but, anytime they get a nub between the leaves it seems to turn out to be a spike. All my roots come out around the bottom of the leaves. I have 9 phals and 3 mini phals. Seven of them are in spike. Five of them have the flowers open and two are still in bud. Soo, any time I see something coming between the leaves I think it is probably a spike.

I have a Phal that hasn't lost a bottom leaf for at least 4 years and its stem is full of aerial roots