Phal questions

[scy]

Sorry I wrote the wrong thing... I meant the phal in the original post. I was thinking about miltoniopsis since we were talking about that before. I also included pics of the spikes. I always hear people say leave the spike or cut it at the base. What is best for the plant?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Getting smaller blooms can have multiple factors that play into it, and not necessarily all at once either.

While repotting during a period of time when the orchid is not in active growth can sometimes get the orchid to produce smaller flowers, it doesn't 100% guarantee that it will happen. The smaller flower size is in many cases not very drastic - it's closer to being millimeters in difference rather than centimeters or inches (albeit people can tell a 2 mm difference in size, they will not always be aware of why or how they can tell the difference).



Getting large flowers is not the strongest indicator of a healthy plant.

Getting larger pseudobulbs, leaves, and root systems are more apt to tell you if the plant is healthy. Getting the maximum amount of leads possible for the plant in question is another great indicator of plant health. Blooming is not necessarily so.

[scy]

Sorry I corrected myself in the post above yours just now. I did repot it from sphag to bark while it was in bloom. There is also a large temperature range - as high as 90 if there's sun and low 50s (but I keep it on a heating pad so it should be higher.) Could the temperatures have caused it?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If the Phal is producing new spikes that are not in connection to the older ones, then I'd safely say yes, it could very well be the temperature difference.

However, with the spikes emerging from the older spikes, that could just be the genetics of the plant running what it's genetic code is telling it to do, rather than the temperature. I'm not 100% sure though.

I will say this...

Some species of Phals such as Phal mannii grows an inflorescence that is unlike many other Phals. It will produce a flattened spike where the flowers will repeat bloom from the same spike for a very long time.

[scy]

Well the new spikes are branching from the original spike. I wanted to know when the last flower drops, if cutting the entire 2 spikes at the base or leaving them alone would be best for my orchid.

I've heard that cutting it at the base is better for the orchids' overall health. Would leaving the spikes alone overstress it? I will cut it if it means better blooms next time.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You can remove the spike. Just use sterile cutters.

[pedidiva]

re: phals. I have noticed that some of my phals have a floppier leaf than others (like the floppy eared bunnies), the leaves are turgid. All are under the same growing conditions & appear healthy (root wis & plantwise). I'm assuming that this may be due to the genetics of the hybrid cross?

Pedi

[scy]

Thank you everyone for the wonderful advice! I really appreciate it!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by pedidiva

re: phals. I have noticed that some of my phals have a floppier leaf than others (like the floppy eared bunnies), the leaves are turgid. All are under the same growing conditions & appear healthy (root wis & plantwise). I'm assuming that this may be due to the genetics of the hybrid cross?

Pedi

It is genetic. Check out how they grow in the wild.

[pedidiva]

that's what i thought. thanks, king