3 months in flower and spike growing again

[flyfishdoc]

I bought some orchids August 23 from an orchid grower. They were blooming when I bought them. I had one phalaenopsis that dropped all it's flowers after over 2 months in bloom at my house, and it started to spike again before the last flower fell off.

This plant has kept almost all it's blooms, and yesterday I noticed that the tips of the spikes are starting to grow again!!! Does this happen often? Can I expect this to happen with this plant again?

How long is anyone's longest blooming plant??

[camille1585]

I don't think it's infrequent for spikes to grow some more! I don't know why. I have 2 phals that sometimes does it and sometimes not. I even have one phal which is very strange. It bloomed, dropped the blooms, grew more buds (4), now those blooms are getting old, and the spike is growing some more, with at least 4 more buds to come! So, this one has been in bloom 6 months so far. My longest blooming phal was nearly 8 months!

I think that the spike growing again might depend on the genetics of the plant (since not all my phals do it), and I suspect there may be some environmental or culture related trigger.(since I don't see it every blooming)

[Ed b]

Camille
I have 5 Phals right now that have rebudding spikes and all have new spikes growing also.I just cut the spike on a white Phal that had been blooming on the same spike sinceJune of 07.
Ed b

[priz_m]

Well yeah, Phals can rebloom from old spikes when it has lost all their flowers, I wouldn't be surprised if they did so while still in bloom.

I certainly hope it gives you such a nice display every time it blooms, congratulations!

[Lilavati]

One of my phals has been in continuous bloom since April, always growing more buds off the spike . . . its produced to basal keikis as well . . . I can't tell if its really vigorous or trying to kill itself . . . it LOOKS happy.

[flyfishdoc]

I just repotted it from sphagnum to a bark, perlite, charcoal mix. I did that the day before I saw the new buds. The roots were great when I repotted and did not need any trimming. I hope it continues to do as well

[lostonthebeach]

You must be doing everything correctly for your plant to be so happy. Good Growing !!

[let_it_grow]

I got my mom a phal 3 years ago when she got out of surgery and it bloomed continuously off 2 spikes for about 18 months. Each spike would branch off at 2 or 3 locations and she had to put the plastic flower pot inside a clay pot with a brick onto to keep it from tipping over. I'll see if i can dig up the pictures and post em. I think the longest it has gone without blooming is about 4 months

[dgenovese1]

Hi Jerry,

That's pretty impressive! Congrats to you.

I think that Camille hit the nail on the head when she mentioned genetics being a big part of this "phenomenon". Just thought I'd throw my worth in.

[tim abbott]

I have a similar, but different phenomenon & I think that genetics are at least part of the answer. I have two phals, one is a plant that I removed from the other that sprouted spikes a while back. I assumed they would generate flowers, but instead they both sprouted leaves at the end. I went out of town for work & returned 10 days later & the origional spikes had sprouted 5 & 4 more spikes respectively, I assume that these will turn into flowers. I am posting some pics. The first one is the mother plant, the second is the plant I started from the mother plant & shows two new spikes one on either side & the origional spike is on the left. The third pic is a close-up of the end of the spike on the left in pic 2(confused yet?).

Tim Abbott