Determined to Spike NOID

[NYCorchidman]

I got this from a farmer's market in the fall of last year.
It was small plant potted in 3in clay pot, yet quite large flowers on a skinny thin spike, one of those that will break without staking.

It grew bigger since then, which made me think if it's not a mini. lol
Three top leaves are the ones that grew under my care and they are all much bigger than older ones.

Anyway, this thing initiated a spike in early October, but then stopped completely. I'm afraid I dried it out too much while I was gone for two weeks.

I just noticed today that it has started another one going while watering it and cleaning the leaf.

You can see the tiny nubbin at the lower left, the old one that stopped developing further, and then you can see a brighter green nubbin on the upper right.

The picture shows the flowers last October.

[seaj]

That plant sure looks happy! I too got a mini NoID phal from the farmer's market that got larger over the last year. Most of it is etiolation due to low light levels. Nonetheless, the plant bloomed this year with a nice display of 36 blooms, much more than the original 8 I bought it with. There would have been closer to 50 had I not broken off the main branch on the second spike.

Most of these mini phals are probably just young plants, huh?

[No-Pro-mwa]

I have 3 that are defiantly mini but I have another looks mini but not as much as there other 3 but I am not as good as you guys it is spiking but the 2 new leaves are not even as big as the other ones.

I like the soft colors of your phal.

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by seaj

That plant sure looks happy! I too got a mini NoID phal from the farmer's market that got larger over the last year. Most of it is etiolation due to low light levels. Nonetheless, the plant bloomed this year with a nice display of 36 blooms, much more than the original 8 I bought it with. There would have been closer to 50 had I not broken off the main branch on the second spike.

Most of these mini phals are probably just young plants, huh?

Oh, my, going from 8 to 36 is quite the jump!
It must be one of those multi/branching with small flowers?

Mine will never have that many flowers. It may be "mini", but the flowers are 4in across!
I bought it with about 5,6 flowers if I remember correctly.
I wonder how many I will see this time around.

By the way, many of the minis are not so mini I find. They really get quite big to be considered mini.

I do have true mini, two of them. It came in 2in pot and the leaf size never increase each time they throw new ones. One is a mini with mini flowers. The other one is a mini with a medium sized flowers.

---------- Post added at 10:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:11 PM ----------

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

I have 3 that are defiantly mini but I have another looks mini but not as much as there other 3 but I am not as good as you guys it is spiking but the 2 new leaves are not even as big as the other ones.

I like the soft colors of your phal.

Thank you!

I am so glad it decided to try another spike because it's about time you know.
Another mini is in spike with tiny buds showing. I'm excited! Then there is another one which is "supposed" to be spiking now but not doing anything. then again, it is not likely because I damaged it a little bit over the summer by forgetting to water it. oops!
I'm glad it is at least growing a new leaf and roots. such a mini with mid sized unique colored flowers. so I'm keeping it.

[seaj]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

Oh, my, going from 8 to 36 is quite the jump!
It must be one of those multi/branching with small flowers?

Mine will never have that many flowers. It may be "mini", but the flowers are 4in across!
I bought it with about 5,6 flowers if I remember correctly.
I wonder how many I will see this time around.

By the way, many of the minis are not so mini I find. They really get quite big to be considered mini.

I do have true mini, two of them. It came in 2in pot and the leaf size never increase each time they throw new ones. One is a mini with mini flowers. The other one is a mini with a medium sized flowers.

It is indeed one of the branching types with small flowers. One spike had 5 branches and 25 blooms while the second spike developed 2 branches before I broke the main tip off. I didn't stake the spikes, so they arched over in the most graceful way. I made the mistake of doing that with my full sized purple NoID and now the flowers are protruding some 2 feet in front of the already space hogging plant.

Your NoID looks like Maki Watanabi.

Have you posted about your true minis? I'd like to see. I've decided not to get anymore full sized phals for now, but the small ones are irresistible. During my last trip to Trader Joe's I think I saw some phals in 2 inch pots. They were definitely the smallest blooming phals I've ever seen and they were $6.99. I didn't have time to wait in line that day so I left without them.

[NYCorchidman]

So I actually have more minis than I thought. What a neglect, I feel bad.

The very first photo is of Wedding promenade, which used to very common, but not any more. so I'm keeping this plant. It is about time, but again, not spiking this time. the plant stays quite small, but the flowering habit is just amazing! and I love the color on it.

The second and third ones were bought together at the Whole Foods earlier this year.
The one with equestris influence stay in bloom forever until October I think. The leaves got wrinkled and showed those "virusy" marks, so I tossed it. I had a lot out of a few dollars you know?

Then the dark magenta one is now spiking again with possible one branching. I'm so excited! This is the one I was talking about and the last one, which is even smaller but the flower is more than three times bigger than the magenta.

The color pattern is subtle but very unique I think.

[NYCorchidman]

I also had Taisuco Micky (sp?) which has very cute spotted flowers, but tossed it. It flowered again with good numbers last year, but it just kept adding lots of lots of leaves, each time, bigger and bigger, and this plant never flowered for over a year. This plant is still common at a grocery stores and farmers market, so I said bye bye.

I have one more mini bought from Trader Jote's this past winter, which rebloomed in the spring with some peloric. It is a beautiful dark magenta color. I has been growing lots of leaves but so far, no signs of spiking.

TJ has lots of interesting mini phals at such a low price, but usually the quality is terrible. They are almost always half dead and beat up looking.
I do buy them when I see something cute and not so dead. lol

---------- Post added at 01:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:16 AM ----------

Originally Posted by seaj

It is indeed one of the branching types with small flowers. One spike had 5 branches and 25 blooms while the second spike developed 2 branches before I broke the main tip off. I didn't stake the spikes, so they arched over in the most graceful way. I made the mistake of doing that with my full sized purple NoID and now the flowers are protruding some 2 feet in front of the already space hogging plant.

Your NoID looks like Maki Watanabi.

Have you posted about your true minis? I'd like to see. I've decided not to get anymore full sized phals for now, but the small ones are irresistible. During my last trip to Trader Joe's I think I saw some phals in 2 inch pots. They were definitely the smallest blooming phals I've ever seen and they were $6.99. I didn't have time to wait in line that day so I left without them.

I thought Maki Watanabi was much bigger plant though.
I have no clue.

I call it soft pink phal.

[seaj]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

So I actually have more minis than I thought. What a neglect, I feel bad.

The very first photo is of Wedding promenade, which used to very common, but not any more. so I'm keeping this plant. It is about time, but again, not spiking this time. the plant stays quite small, but the flowering habit is just amazing! and I love the color on it.

The second and third ones were bought together at the Whole Foods earlier this year.
The one with equestris influence stay in bloom forever until October I think. The leaves got wrinkled and showed those "virusy" marks, so I tossed it. I had a lot out of a few dollars you know?

Then the dark magenta one is now spiking again with possible one branching. I'm so excited! This is the one I was talking about and the last one, which is even smaller but the flower is more than three times bigger than the magenta.

The color pattern is subtle but very unique I think.

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

I also had Taisuco Micky (sp?) which has very cute spotted flowers, but tossed it. It flowered again with good numbers last year, but it just kept adding lots of lots of leaves, each time, bigger and bigger, and this plant never flowered for over a year. This plant is still common at a grocery stores and farmers market, so I said bye bye.

I have one more mini bought from Trader Jote's this past winter, which rebloomed in the spring with some peloric. It is a beautiful dark magenta color. I has been growing lots of leaves but so far, no signs of spiking.

TJ has lots of interesting mini phals at such a low price, but usually the quality is terrible. They are almost always half dead and beat up looking.
I do buy them when I see something cute and not so dead. lol

---------- Post added at 01:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:16 AM ----------



I thought Maki Watanabi was much bigger plant though.
I have no clue.

I call it soft pink phal.

Those are all really nice flowers! I'd definitely go for all of those if I saw them for sale. I'd be able to fit so many of them in front of the window. I'm hoping to find something with obvious hints of equestris soon, as well as a species plant. The nearest Trader Joe's has a steady flow of phals, though their selection is sporadic when it come to other types. I doubt it's Maki Watanabi, but they do look very similar.

[NYCorchidman]

We have three TJs in the city. The one I go to has the largest selection of orchids along their large window that line basically the entire store.
Mostly phals and oncidium intergeneric with some other genera every now and then. never paphs or catts though.

It is great just looking at so many plants to choose from even if I do not buy anything.

Right now, there aren't many orchids as poinsettias take up the space for the season.

I buy minis or any phals at a few different supermarkets and a farmer's market whenever I see something I like.
I wish I had a large greenhouse. I can't count how many I threw away all this time.

[seaj]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

We have three TJs in the city. The one I go to has the largest selection of orchids along their large window that line basically the entire store.
Mostly phals and oncidium intergeneric with some other genera every now and then. never paphs or catts though.

It is great just looking at so many plants to choose from even if I do not buy anything.

Right now, there aren't many orchids as poinsettias take up the space for the season.

I buy minis or any phals at a few different supermarkets and a farmer's market whenever I see something I like.
I wish I had a large greenhouse. I can't count how many I threw away all this time.

Trader Joe's is probably the only big box around with a good selection since most other places focus on phals. I wish I lived closer to one so I could visit more often. One day I want a dedicated indoor growing space as well as a greenhouse too. Thankfully, my current collection is holding up well in my current conditions.