Tiny (skinny) flower spike on baby Phal schilleriana

[lauraeli]

I wish I had my camera to take a picture of this one. I bought a small phal schilleriana this summer. It was not blooming size- when I bought it he said it would bloom next year. Well it is sitting in an east window being (currently) neglected with the rest of my phals.

Anyway, i didnt look at it for like a week and a half, and all the sudden there is this little bitty flower spike growing up. It is definitely a flower spike...but it is the skinniest flower spike i have ever seen. I mean like uncooked spaghetti noodle skinny. Is it skinny because the plant is thirsty? Is it skinny because it is a baby plant? Or for some other reason?

[lauraeli]

No? nobody knows what causes a thin flower spike?

[camille1585]

If you can take a photo sometime, that would be nice. I don't have a specific answer for you, but i've seen the same on my Phal equestris keikis. Phql. equestris blooms when it's quite young, and those plants tend to have really skinny spikes compared to an adult plant.

Is your plant happy, with good, abundant roots? Are you fertilizing regularily? You mention that they're being neglected (not judging- been there done that...) so if you haven't been fertilizing/watering as often, it could be due to that.

[Brooke]

The skinny spike could be because it has a lot of growing to do. A mature schilleriana can have a spike 4' long.

Even if the spike stays thinner because of age, enjoy it.

Brooke

[Dendy83]

Also, people don't generally have enough time to respond between 1am and 8am. But, my equestris also had a much skinnier spike than my hybrids/bigger phals do.

[lauraeli]

Interesting. Thank you, all. As far as neglecting, I only water every ten days at most. So the little guys and a even a few of the bigger ones get a bit thirsty. I did just fertilize them but its probably been a couple months since I last fertilized.

My care of plants fluctuates :-) the onset of winter welcomes neglect, by late winter care typically picks back up. So they get a couple of sad months. It was a little early this year due to a particularly cold autumn, but by the time spring rolls around, my plants are happy as a clam.

[MrHungx]

I've read that Phal. Schilleriana tends to have thin bloom spikes, so you will need to stake it. If it was under watered, it probably wouldn't have put out a spike.

[lotis146]

I can't speak on this specific plant but I had/have some keikis that produced rather short and thin keikis, they're maybe a couple years old. I got a Phal. ludemaniani (I always screw up that spelling so forgive me) keiki from ebay and it came in bloom with sort of pitiful looking spikes.

Then there's my mature hybrids who started spiking while still outside. Since I've brought them in the spikes have taken FOREVER to grow and bud. They also only have 2-4 buds on them. So maybe it's a humidity thing in addition to your neglecting them. I'm learning that some plants will flower when they're just happy enough, while others are more particular. It's like a bit of a Goldilocks tale.

Good luck, and yeah just keep an eye on it. I believe every 10 days now that it's winter should be alright and I think most here recommend turning down the fertilizer during winter too, though others just keep it pushing. Probably wouldn't hurt though to see how dry they are after 5, 6, 7 days. Easier said than done though I know as mine are being neglected as we speak. Best of luck.

[Brooke]

Here is a pic of my schilleriana

Phal schilleriana 'Highjack' AM-AOS LUR_5704 by kentucky4, on Flickr

As you can see the spikes on a mature schillie are very long and actually fairly thick. Most schillies need to have the spikes staked either in a pot or mounted because they will snap off from the weight of the blooms or the pot will fall over.

Give it time and good care and the spike should continue growing because for me, this blooms in late wnter/early spring.

Brooke

[soobie]

Wow. That's beautiful!