Broken spike, HELP!
 

I've been waiting for WEEKS for my newest miniature phal to bloom but while working with a plant next to it I accidentally broke this one's spike at the node! Well, not broke, cuz it's still firmly attached but it's VERY floppy where it's still connected. I quickly wrapped clear tape around the break and have supported it with clips and a bamboo spike, I'm hoping it will heal itself and the trauma won't cause the pre-buds to wither. Ideas and advice would be MUCH appreciated!! Here's a picture of it I took yesterday, before I broke the spike today, so you can see the pre-buds and the node where it ended up breaking (right above the clip) http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/23/2yhejahy.jpg


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The spike could continue to grow, but it might slow down a bit. If it ends up falling off, the spike could start growing again from a lower node.

I did this to one of my NoID phals this year. I broke the spike almost all the way through, but it held one, and slowly grew until my son knocked it completely off. Then it began to grow again from a node lower down. Just don't cut the spike unless it turns brown and starts to die on you.

I've learned not to cut the spikes, yea, I've got about five that have green, firm spikes still even after the blooms have dropped weeks ago, a few have rebloomed already.


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I would just do a clean cut on that portion, and wait for the plant to do a another bloom spike on the lower nodes.

If spike is bent, but not broken off, you should support with stake and clips both below and above damaged point. It will most likely continue to grow.

If you don't support, it will collapse at damaged point as it gets longer & heavier.

Has anyone had any luck getting a new secondary spike after the beginning of a secondary sprout from a spike has been broken off? My new Phal (rescued just after finishing blooming) was starting a new spike off the old one. Well it was about ¼ of an inch long when the plant was dropped. The only damage was that this new little bit broke off.

Just leave it and hope for the best. Try and support it, but don't try and straighten the existing bed.

I had one that bent right over so it looked broken, something like a 90degree bend. It happened as the first flower was opening. I left it and didn't straighten it, the flowers all opened and went on to last 5 months!!

When I've tried to straighten them it's done more damage.

---------- Post added at 06:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:46 PM ----------

Yes, I didn't do anything special but after the first spike broke with buds on it a new one grew with a couple of flowers.

It was only a couple though, I think if it had broken earlier, rather than just before the flowers opened, it might have had more.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/29/aze5esu4.jpg Update! Sofar none of the buds have shown any size of withering, tho the growth seems to have slowed. I've still got the tape wrapped around the break and am keeping it immobile via two clips.


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I did that on a Cattleya just a few weeks ago. :evil:

I had been waiting eagerly for it to bloom since I got it last summer and finally, it threw out two huge sheaths with four big fat buds on each raceme. :biggrin:

I took out four with one elbow. :shock:

I'm surprised ya'll didn't hear me! :shock: