Can a Phal flower root in water?

[Jinnyorchid]

I lust after a Vanda, but not sure our bathroom's big enough! My dad was a tea planter in (then) Ceylon. so I grew up there. Dad was passionate about orchids, which were regarded pretty much as weeds, but he loved them. I remember countless 'orchid cages' fastened on the trees around our house/s. I knew we should have stayed on in SC! (Long story!)

[charitysmama]

Originally Posted by Jinnyorchid

Thank you both. I've got one of my 'rescue' phals about to come into flower, having put out two very wacky flowering stems. I've read, somewhere on the web, about someone propagating phals in water?
I cut the flower off in the hope that the stem had enough oomph in it to generate another flowering spike ... ???

Several months ago I accidentally broke off a flower spike. I put it in a vase to enjoy. The flowers lasted from months, but eventually fell off. Now the stem is growing. I was thinking that maybe I should try putting keiki powder on one of the joints, but now I see the biggest joint is growing in to another stem. What is the opinion of professionals????

[Kari_Stein]

I'm not a pro, but it seems like what ever you are doing is working. Having gotten a rescue with no roots start growing some, it seems to me a flower stem could grow too under some conditions. Your keiki is obvious getting enough nutrients from somewhere. Maybe you can put just a tiny bit of fertilizer in the water and see what happens? Make sure you change the water regularly. Best of luck, and please keep us posted!

[allla]

Actually a piece of stem (unsure about a flower) can often produce a phalaenopsis keiki

A Dutch producer posted pictures of this process on his website

The stem can be potted in a transparent plastic box/bag (with holes) in sphagnum moss slightly sprayed with water and fish emulsion. Basically the saving phal procedure...

You need to remove the sheath protecting the growing eye on the stem and then if you don't get fungal issues (try to take some precautions), if you have enough light and the stem is fairly young, each eye on a sepparate piece of stem could sprout a keiki.

I've accidentally broken a stem on a plant that fell and I am trying now with a piece.