noid phal with deformed bloom

[cutie_monster]

hello orchid lovers! its been a little while since i'vd wrote in. i hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving. it's been really busy around my house lately, which is why i didn't notice this crazy bloom right away...


Untitled by big_cutie_monster, on Flickr

it has 6 petals instead of 5, and also in the center it looks like it may have been trying to make a 7th petal that didn't fully form or open up. this phal has six other blooms on it that are normal in appearance. also fyi, it has been in bloom since early may and its been growing/putting out new buds still. it doesn't appear to be under any stress though, it even grew a new leaf during the blooming stage. idk whats going on? weird. brandy

[Daethen]

Sounds like it is REALLY happy. Don't question, just enjoy.

[MrsH530]

I've had quite a few phals that have had deformed blooms, recently. Glad I'm not the only one!

Sounds like your phal is a happy camper. Good growing

[cutie_monster]

Originally Posted by MrsH530

I've had quite a few phals that have had deformed blooms, recently. Glad I'm not the only one!

Sounds like your phal is a happy camper. Good growing

really?!! wow, i didn't realize that that happens so often. i just thought mine had a weird fluke or something. do u think the future blooms on this plant will be deformed too? or does this just happen occasionally, like once in a blue moon to certain phals?

also, on a side note, i wonder if the reason bloom deformities happen so often is because of overbreeding or overcloning of certain phal species and hybrids. (kinda like how puppy mills churn out sick, genetically inferior versions of pure-breed dogs) is it true that most phals sold at the grocery store or big box store are mass cloned and mass grown in greenhouses? thats where all my orchids came from.

[WhiteRabbit]

It just happens sometimes.
Over-use of hormone products may also cause bloom deformities.

[MrsH530]

I have no idea if it happens often or not. The few that I've had deformed haven't put out new buds for me to see if it'll happen regularly.

[cutie_monster]

hmmm, well, since the plant seems healthy i'm not gonna worry about it then. i've never used any kind of hormones on my phals, so i don't think that is a factor. i guess its kinda like finding a four leaf clover :P
i'll let yall know if it ever does that again. thanks everybody. i love orchidboard!

[NYCorchidman]

Did you buy that plant in spike or did it spike under your care?

Because that kind of deformity is a result of hormone overuse. They use it a lot in the commercial greenhouse.

Genetic mutation (when different plants are bred over and over, crazy things happen sometimes) could also be a possible reason.

You may or may not see this happen again in the future bloom. I would say most likely you will.