Getting two spikes - Orchid Board

The Orchid Kid · #1 02-19-2013, 08:13 PM

I have seen phals with one, two and three spikes (at increasing prices) for sale at retailers.

My questions is how do you get more than one spike at a time? Is it specialist nursery skills or just when the plant is in excellent health and wanting to show off?

james mickelso · #2 02-19-2013, 08:38 PM

Phals and actually any orchid can grow amazing flowers in size and shape and numbers if given perfect culture. But it is an exacting science. Phals for instance are grown in large greenhouses in 80 degree warmth and 80% humidity with the lights on 18 hours or so per day and fed continuously. They can put on numerous spikes. Nothing to it if you have the space and time. But heat costs money and time is money. Some nurseries overseas actually slect for multiple spikes and fast growth.

The Orchid Kid · #3 02-20-2013, 05:58 AM

Interesting - thanks James.

I guess paying more for multiple spikes is for short term gain in more flowers, as eventually you will lose these spikes and then is up to perfect culture to get two again.

But are you also suggesting that some individual plants are more likely to produce 2 spikes and are thus selected as such? ie. If I buy a multiple spike is that more likely to repeatedly produce multiples than one sold as a single spike?

jai_star · #4 02-21-2013, 01:10 AM

growers actually prevent phals from spiking with temperature and feeding , the phald grow big leaves and roots for a long period of time until they are ready to be sold then the growers lower the temp. Think about all that energy stored in the phal they can do multiple spikes. IN our care we tend to let them do their thing and not manipulate so every year we get normal blooms as they would in nature... ALTHOUGH i have always wondered what if you cut the spike off when it first develops and miss a season of flowering could the phal have so much energy that the following year produce two ? this experiment would be difficult as i doubt anyone would have the heart to snip a developing spike and miss flowers for a year

The Orchid Kid · #5 02-21-2013, 04:23 PM

I never knew that. I think letting them do their own thing is best in the end.

I'll let you try the experiment first jai_star and let me know how it goes ;-)

FSUOrchids · #6 02-21-2013, 04:34 PM

Down here in FL my phals regularly get 2 spikes at at time from being outside. I have one with three spikes which is also doing well.

tucker85 · #7 02-21-2013, 06:41 PM

It has a lot to do with the individual plant. I have some phals that always produce one spike. If I give them more light and more fertilizer I often get more branches and more flowers on that one spike. On the other hand I have some phals that almost always produce two spikes. Occasionally one of the two spikes won't mature for some reason but the plant will always have two spikes. I have two phals that always produce three spikes, every year like clockwork.

In the orient they grow phals with huge numbers of flowers. They do this by keeping the temperature over 80 degrees for two or more years. The plants won't bloom and they build up blooming potential. Then, usually a few months before an orchid show, they drop the temperature below 55 degrees and they the orchid spikes. This doesn't usually produce more spikes but it does produce huge spikes with lots of flowers.

james mickelso · #8 02-22-2013, 05:25 AM

In one of my AOS mags there was a great article about how some nursery forced their phals to bloom by lowering the temp in a shaded enclosure made of canvas and cooled with some sort of misting arrangement. I think it was a mag from the early 90's. If I reread it some time I will bring it up. Tucker, is your phal that gets multi bloom spikes a large white or do you get other colors to get more spikes? I always wondered if it was selectively bred and what was used in the hybrid.

tucker85 · #9 02-22-2013, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james mickelso

In one of my AOS mags there was a great article about how some nursery forced their phals to bloom by lowering the temp in a shaded enclosure made of canvas and cooled with some sort of misting arrangement. I think it was a mag from the early 90's. If I reread it some time I will bring it up. Tucker, is your phal that gets multi bloom spikes a large white or do you get other colors to get more spikes? I always wondered if it was selectively bred and what was used in the hybrid.

James, I have three phals that always get three spikes and none of them are white.
Phal. Tying Shin Cupid 'Maria Teresa' - orange
Phal. Dragon's Gold '24k' - yellow
Phal. Sogo Rose 'Sogo F-987'- very dark red

I have many phals that get two spikes. None of them are white. Oh, I almost forgot, several of my small, summer blooming phals have multiple spikes also, but only one or two flowers on each spike.
Here's an example - P. Dragon's Gold with two old spikes and three more new spikes.

The Orchid Kid · #10 02-22-2013, 05:48 PM

that's a lovely plant tucker. Do you recall if when you bought them they were multiple spiked? Wondering if it does have something to do with the specific variety...