What is this?

[ultimatesr]

Time to celebrate.Congrats.Me too waiting for this day when my phal will bloom.
Happy Blooming.

[Polarizeme]

Originally Posted by charitysmama

I broke a flower stem off my phal, so I put it in a nice vase and it is continuing to grow flower buds on new stems. Will it root?

No, flower spikes do not root, but you may be able to enjoy the flowers for a month or more!



P.S. I'm not from California

---------- Post added at 08:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 PM ----------

Jasonmom, looking at the pictures, the Phal leaves look a little dehydrated. Be sure to give it enough water, especially with the spike.
How often are you watering now? How are you applying water, with a water can or running water in the sink?

[charitysmama]

[QUOTE=Polarizeme;657807]No, flower spikes do not root, but you may be able to enjoy the flowers for a month or more!



P.S. I'm not from California[COLOR="Silver"]

Ha, Ha, was getting back at "James Mickelso", since he didn't answer my question, but Oh, well, no one has!!! Still having fun

[jasonmom]

Jasonmom, looking at the pictures, the Phal leaves look a little dehydrated. Be sure to give it enough water, especially with the spike.
How often are you watering now? How are you applying water, with a water can or running water in the sink?

I just got this one a few days ago from Walmart's discount wrack. Paid $5 for it. I watered it the day I got it by running it in sink water for 30 seconds. I was thinking about watering it twice a week for awhile until the leafs looked better.

I also have 4 Cattleyas seedlings I bought off Lowe's discount wrack last month. One of them had and still has that wrinkled look to the leaves. I've only been watering them once a week.

Do you think I should start watering the two with wrinkled leaves twice weekly?

Thanks

[Daethen]

Don't water too often or you will rot the roots. Just give it a really, really good drink next watering then wait until it is almost dried out and do it again.

[james mickelso]

??What ? Watch out. You only want to water just enough to keep it hydrated. Do not over water as you will still rot the roots trying to re-hydrate the leaves. They usually won't plump back up like they were when new. Not only are they losing water but also starches and sugars. The new leaves will be fine as long as you don't rot the roots by watering too much. Looking at the pics, I am wondering about the roots already. Have you taken a peek at them lately? A phal will flower even when it's roots are rotted. The first sign is dehydrated leaves. It will send out a spike while the leaves are withering from dehydration. The phals bent is to produce flowers for pollination even while dying. Mothers!!! Ya gotta klove them. I wish I could find my camera. I have a phal that gets watered once a month if that. It's putting on a new leaf and spike. It's in a bathroom at my friends house. It's in sphagnum moss and is looking really good. That's the secret with sphag. Let it dry thoroughly and then water again.

[jasonmom]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

??What ? Watch out. You only want to water just enough to keep it hydrated. Do not over water as you will still rot the roots trying to re-hydrate the leaves. They usually won't plump back up like they were when new. Not only are they losing water but also starches and sugars. The new leaves will be fine as long as you don't rot the roots by watering too much. Looking at the pics, I am wondering about the roots already. Have you taken a peek at them lately? A phal will flower even when it's roots are rotted. The first sign is dehydrated leaves. It will send out a spike while the leaves are withering from dehydration. The phals bent is to produce flowers for pollination even while dying. Mothers!!! Ya gotta klove them. I wish I could find my camera. I have a phal that gets watered once a month if that. It's putting on a new leaf and spike. It's in a bathroom at my friends house. It's in sphagnum moss and is looking really good. That's the secret with sphag. Let it dry thoroughly and then water again.

I bought it in a plastic cup and just put that down in the pot. It has a few air roots, that look kinda sad, and atleast 4 roots visible through the plastic that look plump and green. Atleast two of them come al the way to the bottom of the cup. It's nowhere near the root bound phal pictures I've seen on here, but I didn't think was that bad. I think the potting medium needs to be changed, looks pretty broke down, but I don't want to repot while blooming.

My Cattleyas that I repotted had very little in terms of roots. Next to none on the one with the leave that looks dehydrated. I've kept to watering it only once a week like the others. So far I see no change in any of the 4 seedlings I got last month.

Thanks much for advise. Keep it coming.

[james mickelso]

Cattleyas grow pbulbs with one or two leaves (although there are some with three). Seedlings don't grow large pbulbs. They are smaller than pbulbs that have grown on larger plants. With normal culture the more pbulbs, the larger the next pbulbs will be. Once the leaves on catts wither due to root loss or under watering, they won't plump back up. But what is the most important is the next growth which will come from the base of the oldest pbulb. There is enough stored energy in the pbulbs to get the new growth on it's way. Those new roots are what is important. Wetting the undersides of the leaves can nourish the pbulbs with few or no roots. Without roots though the pbulb won't look too good. Just be patient. There will be a new growth when it is time.

[shushu45]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Cattleyas grow pbulbs with one or two leaves (although there are some with three). Seedlings don't grow large pbulbs. They are smaller than pbulbs that have grown on larger plants. With normal culture the more pbulbs, the larger the next pbulbs will be. Once the leaves on catts wither due to root loss or under watering, they won't plump back up. But what is the most important is the next growth which will come from the base of the oldest pbulb. There is enough stored energy in the pbulbs to get the new growth on it's way. Those new roots are what is important. Wetting the undersides of the leaves can nourish the pbulbs with few or no roots. Without roots though the pbulb won't look too good. Just be patient. There will be a new growth when it is time.

Does the same thing happen with Enc.s??

[james mickelso]

Most are the same. The larger the plant as a whole, more canes, pbulbs, leaves, the larger the next set of growths. When an orchid loses it's roots, the plant has stored reserves that should, if in an environment that keeps it as unstressed as possible, can push new growth.