Can a Phal flower root in water?
 

Hi, All ... I'm new to the forum and a real orchid beginner, although I have managed (more through luck than judgement!) to bring 4 of them back into flower. My favourite pastime is buying half dead orchids (why are they all Phals?) from supermarkets and bringing them back to life. My question, though, is can anyone tell me what I do with what looks to me as though it's a teeny plant starting to grow in water? I cut the last flower off a flowering stem (Phal), cut it off just below a node and then cut the stem back to just above another one. Couldn't bear to throw the flower away so put it in water about a week ago and when I came to change the water today I noticed what looks like growth from the node. Help! If it is likely to grow, what do I do with it? I'm attaching a photo ....
Another silly question ... how come my reflowering orchids grow stems all over the place, whereas the ones on sale have upright, straight stems?
Any, all advice will be more than welcomed!

The ones on sale are almost always staked and clipped somehow to make them grow that way. I remove the stakes after those spikes are done and when the new spikes come on, I will not stake them.

As far as whether this will grow into a new plant or not… I suspect not. I have a phal that I have attempted to rescue from severe rot and have been told that it will take 6 months or more for me to know if the thing is going to live. I don't think this plant will take root from a spent bloom. There's not enough green and living here.

It won't grow from this sorry. But I have been told that cut blooms when cared for can last a good while.

---------- Post added at 02:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:53 PM ----------

also technically, most orchids grow on the sides of trees and rock facings etc.. so when they spike or bloom they will usually grow upside down that is why they stake them in store it saves space and people can see the actual flowers growing.

---------- Post added at 02:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:54 PM ----------

Phal's are also one of the "easier" orchids to grow and if memory serves is one of the most hybridized as well, thats why when you go into the big box stores they sometimes will have the most amazing blooms and not have a name tag because they are the ones who created it. Plus phal's can take a lot of abuse and still survive.

---------- Post added at 02:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:55 PM ----------

also looks like the flower had enough energy in it to set off some more flowers.

Thank you both. I've got one of my 'rescue' phals about to come into flower, having put out two very wacky flowering stems. I've read, somewhere on the web, about someone propagating phals in water?
I cut the flower off in the hope that the stem had enough oomph in it to generate another flowering spike ... ???

Hm I dont know about a propagation in water...

cut Phalaenopsis flowers will never grow roots no matter what you do.
A pollinated flower while still attached to the spike can produce a spod that contains seeds. It can produce keikis in the spikes and they produce roots or the basal keikis will produce roots.

*keiki=Hawaiian for baby

One of my Rescue/half dead phals (£1.50 from Tesco) flowered for about 3 weeks after it'd been watered and fed. About 6 months later it produced what turned out to be a keiki, which is now potted up and very happy. Why do some orchids produce keiki rather than flower spikes, or is the clue in the rescue/half dead?

When the plant is stressed or dehydrated it instinctively produce a baby thinking it might die ....but if you cut the spike and give it proper culture and care the plant will grow new roots and leaves and produce enough energy for a new flower spike.
Flowering is induced when you give it a cooling down (80F in the day and 60F at night) this happens naturally in the fall and by late winter to early spring you will have blooms.....this is true for species but some hybrids can flower as many as four times a year....

Bud, I've potted on the keiki, and it's doing really well. The mother plant seemed to be struggling; only had about two live roots when I repotted it, but is now putting out new leaves. Bud, I would so, so love to give all our plants - and me - the temperatures you suggest! The cold is really not a problem - we're in the UK, at about 900ft altitude, 53N, 2W. As I write this it's blowing a hoolie outside, but ... haven't lost an orchid yet!!

I'm sorry that you are experiencing a blowing 'hoolie' outside your home....I am so used to US buildings and apartments where there is a thermostat that you can control the room temperature; and the 'super' handyman of the building takes care of everything from plumbing to electrics.
But the temperatures I gave you is ideal according to its culture so that is what I automatically give my thermostats. I am glad you have never lost an orchid yet= I was devastated when one of my very first Vandas died from bacteria and fungi infestation.