Two different colored flower spikes on same Phal?

[twinkie]

Hello everyone,
I don't know what's happening with one of my Phals and am suspicious it could be a fertilizing problem.
One spike has blooms with lovely white and purple streaks that are ordered and overall the blooms are well shaped. The other spike has deep purple flowers with only a rim of white around petal edges, the blooms are much smaller and appear more cup shaped but do not appear misshapen.
The color and size difference is so striking am worried I've got a virus or possibly hit it with bloom fert at the wrong time? The larger white and purple stalk bloomed first, the deep purple second.
Otherwise, the plant is healthy, no root rot etc. Does anyone know what could have caused this or is this possibly normal to have two different colors on two separate stalks? Am trying to upload pics but they seem to disappear after loading.
thank you for any help!

[MrHappyRotter]

Can you post photos? A picture is worth a thousand words.

Is it possible your plant is a chimera? Is it possible you have more than 1 plant in the same pot? Did the spikes develop in different temperatures or cultural conditions? Is it possible that the color difference is due to a difference in age of the flowers?

[Ray]

Changes in cultural conditions can definitely affect flower development, but fertilizer usually doesn't, as nutrients usually get spread pretty uniformly once absorbed. Unless you changed something, of course.

Is this a new plant (i.e., your conditions or feeding might be different), or was it moved?

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Yes, check to see if there is more than one plant in the pot.

Phals with purple/red spots and stripes are known to make differently colored flowers with different temperatures while buds are forming.

[twinkie]

Originally Posted by MrHappyRotter

Can you post photos? A picture is worth a thousand words.

Is it possible your plant is a chimera? Is it possible you have more than 1 plant in the same pot? Did the spikes develop in different temperatures or cultural conditions? Is it possible that the color difference is due to a difference in age of the flowers?

Oh so happy to see so many helpful answers! I don't know what a chimera is so will research. It's only 1 plant in the pot for sure, as I've had it for over a year and repotted it myself. The spikes didn't develop in different temps, they came on that the same time, and I had thought also that perhaps since the 1st stalk set flowers first, it's an age thing but the 2nd flower stalk is remaining exactly as they opened. The color differences are profoundly different. I tried about 5 times yesterday to upload photos but it's not working for me, tried adjusting my browser settings but couldn't make anything stick. I'll try to post again below. Thank you for answering!

---------- Post added at 05:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:14 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Ray

Changes in cultural conditions can definitely affect flower development, but fertilizer usually doesn't, as nutrients usually get spread pretty uniformly once absorbed. Unless you changed something, of course.

Is this a new plant (i.e., your conditions or feeding might be different), or was it moved?

Hi there! The plant is over a year old and both spikes developed out of the same potting medium, the repotme brand, and I use a very weak solution of Jack's orchid bloom. All my orchids get tepid rainwater soaks for about 10 minutes, then the weak orchid fert.

---------- Post added at 05:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:17 PM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Yes, check to see if there is more than one plant in the pot.

Phals with purple/red spots and stripes are known to make differently colored flowers with different temperatures while buds are forming.

Wow! I had no idea about that! That is a possibility here...I keep an eagle eye on the thermostat and humidity but there was one night where the temp dipped into a lower 50's than I would have liked. It was a while back but if this is true about purple/red spot/stripes Phals, could be the culprit. The timeline could fit. It's def only one plant in there.

I'm going to try and upload photos again, can't figure out why they won't show up after loading in the pop up window.

My first thought was that they were 'deformed', but they're just smaller versions of the stripey ones with solid purple faces brushed with a rim of white. No dots, streaks, stripes. So freaking odd! I haven't moved it from the SW facing window with a grow light overhead. I'm in the rainy PNW.

The only other thing I could think of would be if somehow I 'forced' the younger buds to open with too aggressive of orchid bloom fert when they weren't 'ready'? I haven't changed my fert amounts or watering schedule by more than one day. I try to wet them only on sunny days, no rain, and early in the day.

So far the Phals have astounded me with their aggressive growth after I repotted everyone last year, and it's not unusual to see new leaves, roots AND spikes coming out at the same time. Maybe I'm just lucky in picking out plants but most of the time I can't get a week in to repot if needed after the last bloom falls and they're pumping another spike out. I've frankly got some orchids I question if they're actually little beings with souls masquerading under green leaves eheheh. Perhaps there's the 'oddball forum' for that post

[twinkie]

Trying to add Pics...

[Ray]

I suspect those are two, different plants.

No matter what color may do on a single plant - and I've had an individual phalaenopsis plant bloom white, yellow, and pink - the shape of the lip will be unchanged.

Can you post a photo of the darker one looking more down on the lip, as is the case with the pink one?

[aliceinwl]

I think this variety is known for having two different color forms to the flowers that can even show up on the same plant. I forget it’s name, but I’ve seen the same side by side before.

---------- Post added at 09:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:06 AM ----------

Check out Phalaenopsis ‘Magic Art’. Phalaenopsis Orchid ‘Magic Art’ (Phalaenopsis hybrid)

This is the description: “Its white blooms have splashes of light and dark pink throughout the petals and lip. ‘Magic Art’ is referred to as a “wild color” phalaenopsis. These wild colors are not stable and at times the colors will reverse. The reverse color for ‘Magic Art’ is burgundy with white petal edges. You could have two separate spikes with flowers of each color on the same plant! However, like nature itself, which color combination you get is unpredictable.”

[AnonYMouse]

Can you post a picture of the whole plant?

[twinkie]

Here's some pics! It's definitely one plant. The mouth is the same more or less at least in shape, coloring, no. That is crazy you would get yellow and then white or pink off the same plant! Why would it do that? My main concern is that the plant is not diseased and causing this.