den/phal spike question.
 

Hello

About a month ago I notice a stubby little bump on the top of my denphal. It looked like it was going to send up a spike. But it has halted and it has not grown.

Why do you think that happened... and should I expect it to resume growing eventually or is this growth a dud...?

It since has sent up another shoot and it is almost as tall as the one in question.

Any advice?

That's not a bud or a keiki. That's the cane's terminal tip. Nothing will grow from that. The spike comes out from dormant "eyes" from the nodes of the cane.

this is a phal den... doesnt' the spike come out of the top.? I know that in a nobile, the spikes come out of the nodes, but the top is where this one flowers and it was blooming when I bought it about 1 1/2 years ago.

Alright...oops...

It's been years since I bought a Dendrobium phalaenopsis.

I checked on-line, and yeah you're right they can bloom from the tip of the cane.

But it's still not a bud (not yet at least), and not a keiki.

How're the roots?

I repoted it yesterday and the roots are fabulous! The plant is very healthy.
I just thought it was interesting that I got this little nub but it stopped growing. I'm certain it's the start of a spike I just don't know what could have caused it to stop.
I'll be patient.

I think King is right that it's just a terminal tip. But in my very recent experience, on a Den Phal type, a flower spike can grow from the top even after it seems to have terminated.

The new growth on mine terminated with no flower spike and it terminated in a small bulge out the top. I can see similar bulges on some of the small old canes which have never flowered.

About a month after it terminated I found out that I should have been giving it higher light for it to flower. It had already been in my west facing window but on a really sunny day at the end of August I put it outside. I thought it was probably too late in the year to get a spike but just thought it might do the plant good.

It was in direct bright sun, but arround every half an hour to an hour I moved it into the shade so it had chance to cool before the sun moved round to it's new spot (trying to avoid sub-burn). I put it out again on a couple of other sunny days over the next 2 weeks, though non as hot as that first one.

Anyway to the side of that little terminating nub, but still out the top, a spike started (within a week of the first day outside). I don't know if it will get enough light or warmth to actually mature and flower now that we are moving in to winter, but I now know what to do next year.

Thanks rosie.
I'll try putting them outside... it is still warm enough here that I think may do the trick.

I have one that did the same thing...little bump at the end of the cane. I was soo disappointed. But it started another cane from the base of that one and it grew like crazy - it now has a dozen flowers on the spike.

I didn't change anything, guess it just wasn't ready to bloom on that cane.

Maureen