Terminal stem on Phal Orchid. Will it ever produce a new stem?

[Orchid grower]

Hi everyone! I'm fairly new to the thread and being an orchid lover!

I have a Phal Orchid that has a terminal stem and from there a keiki had grown and two stems from the keiki. The stems are no longer there and I'm wondering if this Orchid will ever be able to produce a new stem again. I've attached pictures.

Any help would be very much appreciated. I loved the flowers this Orchid produced.. deep velvet purple. Wondering if I'll ever see those again or am I better off getting another Orchid?

Thank you so much in advance!!

[jkofferdahl]

Well, first the bad news. Your plant does, indeed, have what's called a "terminal spike". Terminal, in this case, means that it's growing from the terminus of the plant's growth stem, though, unfortunately, it's also a sign that the plant is terminal. Eventually.

Eventually is the word that gets to the good news. The spike is already growing a keiki, which should develop into a new plant. The keiki should grow more leaves, get roots, and grow into a plant which blooms flowers identical to the original plant. While it grows it will be fed by the mother plant, so the longer you can leave it attached the stronger it will get. You CAN remove a keiki when it has at least 2" of roots, but the longer you leave them the better.

Further, the mother plant still has several years of life in it. Where there's life there is also a willingness to stay alive. Quite often, a plant with a terminal spike will grow what's called a basal keiki. A basal keiki is a new growth that comes from the base of the plant and develops into a reproduction of the original. Just keep treating the plant as you always have, and with just a wee bit of luck you should enjoy the flowers for years yet.

[Orchid grower]

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

Well, first the bad news. Your plant does, indeed, have what's called a "terminal spike". Terminal, in this case, means that it's growing from the terminus of the plant's growth stem, though, unfortunately, it's also a sign that the plant is terminal. Eventually.

Eventually is the word that gets to the good news. The spike is already growing a keiki, which should develop into a new plant. The keiki should grow more leaves, get roots, and grow into a plant which blooms flowers identical to the original plant. While it grows it will be fed by the mother plant, so the longer you can leave it attached the stronger it will get. You CAN remove a keiki when it has at least 2" of roots, but the longer you leave them the better.

Further, the mother plant still has several years of life in it. Where there's life there is also a willingness to stay alive. Quite often, a plant with a terminal spike will grow what's called a basal keiki. A basal keiki is a new growth that comes from the base of the plant and develops into a reproduction of the original. Just keep treating the plant as you always have, and with just a wee bit of luck you should enjoy the flowers for years yet.

Thank you so much for your answer!

I'm wondering about the stems that grew out of the keiki. The stem kept growing right through the keiki what could this mean? Also this keiki has been there for serveral months with no signs of growing any roots or additional leaves.

[estación seca]

Eventually, some years from now, the rosette with the terminal spike will die. This could be more than 5 years away, if you take good care of your plant. There is plenty of time to make another vegetative growth.

I don't think that particular leaf on the flower stem is going to turn into a plant. Each node on a Phal stem has a tiny bract. This leaf represents that bract, enlarged. The microscopic growth point inside the bract (called the meristem) can turn into another flower spike, as yours has, or into a new plantlet. Because that meristem has already made a second flower spike, there is nothing left there to form a new plant. But other nodes on your flower stem still have that potential.

Most Phals that make a terminal spike will eventually make another vegetative growth somewhere - either from a node on the old flower stem, or from the base of the existing leaf rosette. Just treat the plant well and it will probably continue growing.

[Fairorchids]

The leaf on the stem is not a keiki, just a partial leaf that formed on the node (happens occasionally).

When an otherwise healthy plant forms a terminal spike, it will usually produce one or more basal keikis. If the parent plant has produced a flower spike from below every single leaf, there are no dormant buds left to produce the basal keikis.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

...If the parent plant has produced a flower spike from below every single leaf, there are no dormant buds left to produce the basal keikis.

So sometimes there is an advantage to providing less than stellar care to our plants!