What's this new green growth on node/eye ?

[MandiBruce]

I have a mini phalinopsis I've had for about three weeks, it's been repotted already,( it was in moss) and I lost 2 blooms over the three weeks . But my question is what is this little green spike like, growing from the node closer to the top of the orchids spike ! ?

[JanetL]

It's probably too soon to tell. May be a flower spike or a keiki (baby plant).

[cbuchman]

I agree with JanetL.

[Pati/orchid newbie]

Originally Posted by JanetL

It's probably too soon to tell. May be a flower spike or a keiki (baby plant).

Do keikis grow off a flower spike? I would think they would originate from the base at the leaves/foliage.....just wondering....very new to orchid growing, and very recently heard the term "keiki". It will be exciting to see what it is!

[cbuchman]

For Phals, keikis can grow from the glower spike or from the base of the plant (basal Keikis)

[JanetL]

I'm new too. But, yes, Keiki can grow from base, flower spike, and even the roots.
Please see my today's post "Save Orchid with no leave but a keiki" that includes pictures of a keiki on the flower spike. Sadly, nobody replied yet. Don't know whether I can save it.

[MandiBruce]

Yay I'm hope it's a keiki does that stress the plant out bad?

[Island Girl]

It can, (stress the mother) if the plant is in rough shape to begin with. A lot of Phals (or other genuses, like Dendrobiums...etc) will produce keikes b/c of some type of stressor, so that they will at least have some living offspring, in case they die. Other times, Phals (Dens too) will just produce kiekes, b/c it's hereditary (along w/ flowers), OR they'll produce them instead of flowering (usually b/c of something missing in the culture given). Certain species (or hybrids w/ these sp. in their lineage) of Phals just like to kieke... for example: P. leuddemaniana. I have a leudde that has 10 large kiekes ATM. (leuddes are also known to be somewhat difficult to flower, often they will produce kiekes instead, and there isn't any known (concrete) way of flowering them, u just have to figure it out.)

So, no, (to answer your question, MandiBruce) if the plant is in good health, it will not stress it out to have kiekes But, if it's producing kiekes b/c the mother plant is dying, then you might wanna check the mother plant to see if it has enough life left in it for to give to the kieke, so the baby can finish making enough roots for it to survive on its own. Or, cut off the kieke, and try to save the mother, IF the mother could be saved.