Really confused spike

[tuvoc]

This poor guy has been growing (?) like this for a couple of months. I tried some minor surgery in hopes of freeing the tip, but had no luck. The crack happened on its own, I had nothing to do with it. Has anyone had this happen, and if so, what did you do to help it along? Thanks.

Kim

[mehitabel]

I've had this happen fairly regularly with oncid spikes, and a couple of times with phal spikes. Surgery sometimes works, sometimes ends in disaster, so nothing is perfectly reliable. Sometimes if you lose the tip the spike resumes growing from a lower node. (Sometimes not)

However, I would have nipped one side of the leaf it was growing thru, and then wedged a tiny piece of cardboard against it, just to push it maybe 1/4" or even less in a slightly more upright direction. Veddy gently, of course.

Maybe a week later, a slightly thicker piece of cardboard or shred of foam peanut. Repeat a couple more times til the spike is growing more upright and outside of the hole in the leaf.

But as I said, intervention doesn't always work. Of course without intervention the spike would be ruined anyway, so you're in a can't lose position.

[flhiker]

Looks like the spike got stuck and pushed is way through the upper leaf, which caused it to grow backward and crack the spike. That's the reason the leaf is torn. Don't think it will continue to grow but stranger things can happen.

[tuvoc]

Thanks guys. I took a closer look this morning, and found that that silly spike had actually grown down through the leaf, and had started boring into the stem below it. I pried it out a bit, but hold no hope for it to do anything. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes. Thanks again.

Kim