Phalaenopsis Hybrid "Wild White"

[No-Pro-mwa]

I don't think I have ever seen one with so many blooms, I would have snatched it up as well. I can' wait to see how many it has next year.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

I don't think I have ever seen one with so many blooms, I would have snatched it up as well. I can' wait to see how many it has next year.

I see these on a fairly regular basis in the garden center near where I live. I've never bought one, because so many of them tend to have a terminal spike.

[hannabea]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I see these on a fairly regular basis in the garden center near where I live. I've never bought one, because so many of them tend to have a terminal spike.

I started googling "terminal spike" after your post, and it seems like the orchid has one (or a few?) of them. I can see at least two or three coming from the crown. I also think it has a keiki with a flower stem, but no roots.

I still like the orchid, but I am a bit disappointed it will most likely not bloom again. I don't know if an orchid can have several terminal spikes, I will have to read more about this.

Thank you for mentioning this, I will definitely keep it in mind next time I buy an orchid.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by hannabea

I started googling "terminal spike" after your post, and it seems like the orchid has one (or a few?) of them. I can see at least two or three coming from the crown. I also think it has a keiki with a flower stem, but no roots.

I still like the orchid, but I am a bit disappointed it will most likely not bloom again. I don't know if an orchid can have several terminal spikes, I will have to read more about this.

Thank you for mentioning this, I will definitely keep it in mind next time I buy an orchid.

It's not entirely hopeless. Terminal spike means that there won't be any new leaves growing from the crown. The plant will still bloom from parts of the plant which haven't had spikes grow yet. However the plant still has a survival mechanism, and may very well put out a few basal keikis in order to continue growing and blooming.
So it's not the terminal spike per se that makes me hesitant to buy Phals that have them, it's just that space is limited on my orchid shelves, so I'd rather buy 'good' plants that don't take up space for nothing.

If the keiki you are talking about is that leaf like thing growing on the stem of one of the terminal spikes, it's not a keiki. It happens often on terminal spikes that some of the bracts will show hypertrophy, and develop like a leaf. But it's not a keiki.

[hannabea]

Originally Posted by camille1585

It's not entirely hopeless. Terminal spike means that there won't be any new leaves growing from the crown. The plant will still bloom from parts of the plant which haven't had spikes grow yet. However the plant still has a survival mechanism, and may very well put out a few basal keikis in order to continue growing and blooming.
So it's not the terminal spike per se that makes me hesitant to buy Phals that have them, it's just that space is limited on my orchid shelves, so I'd rather buy 'good' plants that don't take up space for nothing.

If the keiki you are talking about is that leaf like thing growing on the stem of one of the terminal spikes, it's not a keiki. It happens often on terminal spikes that some of the bracts will show hypertrophy, and develop like a leaf. But it's not a keiki.

Thank you, camille1585, I really appreciate you taking the time to anser.

Does that mean that once an orchid has grown a terminal spike, it can still grow stems from the "side" of the crown, or will it not produce leaves nor new stems?

I am hoping it will produce keikis. Regardless, I will keep it as long it is alive.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I see these on a fairly regular basis in the garden center near where I live. I've never bought one, because so many of them tend to have a terminal spike.

Well that's to bad, they put it out all at once then say 'I'm done'