Did I break off a spike before it even had a chance :(
 

Hello everyone,

My name is Christine and I got my orchid about 3 years ago. I have been waiting patiently for it to rebloom but it hasn't (probably due to the fact that I planted it in soil...). I started reading up on orchids and repotted it in bark chips today. However, there was something starting to grow on it and I figured it was just another root, so no biggie. But I broke it off by accident while repotting. Now I think it was a spike :(:shock: If so, what do I do now? This is so sad!

Thank you for your help!

Yes, that was a spike, and I'm sorry. However, Phals are quite resiliant, and if it wants to bloom it may shoot a spike from the other side. If not, you'll get flowers next year!

As my yoga teacher would say, take a deep, cleansing breath ;) It happens to most of us at some point.

I had a phal keiki that took two years to produce a spike. And then the spike did nothing but grow longer. For 18 months. Really. Finally, a bud started forming and got nice and fat. I was watering plants at the sink, probably no more than a day or two before this never- before- seen wonder would have opened. I got the (2 foot long) spike tangled in another plant and popped the bud right off.

Take heart. There is a decent chance your plant will produce another spike this season. :)

Yeah, we have all done that.

Thank you all so much for your responses! This actually made me feel a lot better. :) Beth, sorry about your bud too!

I had a phal with only a couple leaves. It started a spike and I snipped it off to put more strength into the plant...Yesterday I see a new spike forming...Determined...Go figure.

If a phal is ready to bloom, the chances are very good that it will start another spike. I'm telling myself that after slicing off a spike on my Sogo Grape while trimming an old leaf.