Spiking again-No Rest Period. Will it get Stressed?

[cutie_monster]

hello all, i am fairly new to orchids & i have 4 phals. right now, one of them is putting out a new spike already and it hasn't had a rest period. i removed the old spikes from this plant about 4-5 weeks ago. the old spikes *looked* finished, i.e. all the buds had opened, it wasn't growing any new buds, and several of the bottom flowers had dropped or were faded and wilty looking. so i removed both spikes at the base. now it appears a new spike is forming.


possible spike yay! by big_cutie_monster, on Flickr

i have read on some websites that if the plant doesn't get a chance to rest in between flowering, that it can take a toll on its health. kinda like if a woman has back-to-back pregnancies, i guess. is this correct? are there any signs i need to watch for? any special care it may need?

right now, i water them once a week by filling up the kitchen sink & let them soak in there about 15 minutes or so. then i drain em & pour over Orchid Plus 20-14-13 so that it runs straight through. then i wipe the leaves, crowns, and pots dry and put em back by the windows. also, i have Miracle Gro Bloom Boost 15-30-15 that i bought to use this fall when it got time for them to start spiking again, but i haven't used it yet. should i switch to the 15-30-15? should i alternate 15-30-15 one week, then 20-14-13 next week? or stick with what i've been doing, the 20-14-13 every week?
sorry for such a long post, its just i wasn't expecting to get another spike this soon. and most of what i've read about was how to examine roots, repot, and water them correctly. thank you in advance for any suggestions.

[The Orchid Boy]

There is a sticky thread on called "Everblooming orchids. Yeah!". If it has lots of roots and leaves and is getting enough but not too much light, fertilizer, and water, some orchids can be in bloom almost all the time. There was one slipper orchid that someone had that has been in bloom since 2010 without stopping. I'd stick with the 20-14-13 and don't use bloom boosters. There is new research that suggest that too much P and K can be very harmful to orchids, I won't go into details here but a detailed article can be found here: "What Do Orchids Eat?"

[Stray59]

I had a friend who owned a phalaenopsis that ended up sending up 5 spikes at the same time; it literally bloomed itself to death - but that was the only time I have heard of such. I usually trust the plant to judge whether it can support the new spike. Phalaes often send up successive spikes - not always, but often; or they branch off of old spikes and rebloom that way.
You might consider toning down the bloom booster like Orchid Boy suggested, but again, if the plant can't support the new spike, it will abort it on it's own. I wouldn't worry, just be thankful you have a healthy and happy plant!
Let us know how it turns out!
Steve

[cutie_monster]

Originally Posted by Stray59

You might consider toning down the bloom booster Steve

thank you for the info guys. currently, i'm using Orchid Plus 20-14-13. i didn't used the Bloom Booster yet, just had it on hand for when/if the plants began spiking in the fall. however, i will probably stick to 20-14-13 and use the Bloom Booster on my outdoor landscape flowers. good to know the plant will be ok also. i'll post more pics when this beauty starts to flower.

[mattryan]

I agree with the previous posts. I also use the same fert as you do and I like the results I am getting with it. I also have a phal that had 2 spikes that stayed green so I left them. They grew a little bit, then 1 started dying so I cut it off. Well I just looked at it yesterday and it is growing a new spike right above the one I cut off. It's been about the same amount of time as yours. I also have a belina that has stalled on 2 spikes now...so I do believe that unless it thinks it's dying (root or a problem with the crown) they won't bloom themselves to death. If they don't have good roots I'd be concerned, but it sounds as though you've lucked out on that orchid...Enjoy and we look forward to the pics

Cheryl

[bballr4567]

I wouldnt cut off the spikes until they are actually brown and dried. Cutting them off early might trick the orchid into sending up another spike because it thinks the other broke and with flowers still on the spike it missed an opportunity to breed.

[FSUOrchids]

Maybe it's because I'm in FL, but I've rarely needed to use much in the way of fertilizer with phals, and they still spike like crazy pretty often. I don't think the plants are necessarily in danger.

[cutie_monster]

Originally Posted by bballr4567

I wouldnt cut off the spikes until they are actually brown and dried. Cutting them off early might trick the orchid into sending up another spike because it thinks the other broke and with flowers still on the spike it missed an opportunity to breed.

ok, good to know for next time. these were all recently repotted and i was hoping that by cutting off the spikes that the plants would start growing more roots and/or leaves. thanks for all the input guys