Phal Babies; Dormant spikes sprout new plants - How to handle??
 

Noobie, here. Maybe I missed a relative post somewhere not knowing the correct phraseology.

Got a phal (grocery store purchase, I'm sure) as a present maybe a year ago with twin spikes full of blooms. The blooms tapered off and the spikes remained green so I left them to see what would happen.

After several months both spikes sprouted new leaves from nodules at about 2/3 the height of the spike. The spike above the new leaves slowly withered and I trimmed off the dead spike. The new leaves are growing well and one of the new little plants started another offshoot of leaves at it's base. No sign of new roots on these new plants anywhere.

Whut'migonnado??

No signs of any new roots, new leaves, or new spikes on the mother plant, either, but it's winter.

Pics here: Phal babies - Google Photos

Welcome! Many Phals. do this. Such an adventitious plantlet is often called a keiki, from the Hawaiian for baby. When the plantlet has 2-3 roots of 2"-3" long / 5-7.5cm you can remove it from the stem and pot it separately. There is no rush; it's fine to leave it attached longer.

THANK YOU, SIR!!

First, Welcome!

Sometimes the leaves of keikis develop, but roots don't show up, or may do so much later. You do have to wait for roots for them to have any chance of survival as separate plants. But sometimes, they can even produce their own spikes while in that "leaves but no roots" state. If the plant also produces a spike from the mother plant, then you have an extra spike for an even better display. So just keep on watching... they do what they do...

Just for grins, here is my plant that did something like yours is doing... https://www.orchidboard.com/communit...t=schilleriana
The keiki did eventually produce a root or too, I just left it attached and it's getting ready to produce yet another spike from that still-attached keiki, as well as a new spike from the base of the plant.