Orchid growing unusually thick spike
 

I feel so stupid when it comes to plants, I never understand what is going on when something happens, but since I am already on this forum I'll ask here :D

My old orchid, one that I've had for many many years, has grown a spike (is it actually called that? Thing that carry flowers) that is so much thicker, and much longer than they usually are on that plant. I have never seen it do anything like it.

Why would that happen, anyone knows?


Edit: added a photo where you can see the big one next to a normal-sized one. This big one seems to be getting flowers at the nodes as well (?).

Is suspect that plant is either simply more mature, so can afford to expend more resources growing a large flower spike, it is responding to better care that it had been getting in the past.

"Spike" is the commonly used term we use for all orchid inflorescences. Technically, it's incorrect for phalaenopsis, which have "racemes". Here's a graphic with the differences:

http://www.firstrays.com/Pictures/inflors.jpg

Wow, beautiful plant! Don't feel stupid, no need to feel stupid. You will no doubt have more replies from Phal growers but personally I think your plant is simply healthy as a horse and this fat spike is showing you how happy it is!

Have you recently changed anything? Repotted it, fertilized it? Changed the lighting? It really is a nice specimen in my opinion and I feel pretty stupid myself sometimes. I hope you will post pictures when this guy blooms.

Anyone else here see a problem with this beautiful plant?

Thank you both for your replies! :) And right, racemes it is!

I've had this orchid for maybe 10 years, and it was not tiny when I got it, so I'm not sure if it has to do with it maturing, but maybe orchids take a very long time to mature (like humans?) :P It sure is quite a monster today.

The only difference that I've done now and never before is that I pollinated two of its flowers, one of them showing in the picture. Another new thing for this orchid is that it has its first keiki (basal), never had that before on this one. I'm not sure why it's suddenly thriving, if that is what it is.

Really? I thought that looked like a small seed pod, awesome! Your plant just looks really good to me. Good luck with the seed, have you done this before?

Thank you :)

No, I have not done this before. I just thought the idea of crossing my two orchids to have mixed baby orchids was fun, so I found out how to pollinate them and did it... I should have read more about the whole process before doing it, if I had known that it would be complicated to grow orchids from seeds I would probably have waited x)

It looks good to me as well. Good luck with the seed pod.

Thank you :)

It sounds like you are very hands-on about growing your plants, but if you are looking for some assistance with growing your seed, you might look at the Troy Myers Conservatory. They have flasking services available as well as lots of advice.
Flask and Established Seedling Sales, and Flasking Programs

Your plant looks very healthy! Congratulations, and you must be a good grower to accomplish that!

My older Phal's do this every year.
Get ready for HUGE amount of blooms!

And don't cut it off when the blooms stop.
On mine that are "thick" they send off side "stalks" the next year giving even more blooms, and the "thick" one blooms again!
I only cut mine off after they turn brown.

Thank you all! Will be fun to see how this turns out :)

In the spirit of technical correctness, orchids have "capsules", not "pods".

You're right. Only body snatchers have pods.

Oh great!!!
Now I'm going to have problems sleeping again!

:rofl: