New growth on my orchids - what is it?

[elbie]

I have two orchids that have just lost their last flowers. One orchid has green growing tips on its bifurcated spike and the other does not. Now they are both putting out what looks like spikes (see pictures) from the middle of the leaves at their bases, but there are leaves coming out as well. What are these?

[ilikeorchids]

The first picture, the orchid seems to be producing a terminal spike which means it can be somewhat the end for the orchid and it just lives after the blooms but usually it produces a basal keiki or a keiki from the spike, and sometimes it might suddenly produce a new leaf beside the terminal spike, meaning, the phal will still continue to grow, the other orchid is looking healthy. The spikes with leaves are somewhat rare but this is normal because it's a hybrid anyways (is it a hybrid?) and hybrids tend to have mutations from flowers, to the spikes, and throughout the whole plant but sometimes the spikes with the leaves-the leaf produce another leaf and then root, and becomes a keiki

[tucker85]

I have a couple of phalaenopsis that produce small leaves on the flower spikes. It's probably a trait inherited from one of the species in it's ancestry.

[elbie]

I am somewhat confused. I did not think that an orchid can have two separate growing spikes at the same time - both with buds. That is the situation with the orchid in the first picture. In the orchid in the second and third pictures the spike with the leaf is actually coming out from between leaves and there are leaves emerging on top of where the spike is coming out (not easy to see from the angle of the pictures). What exactly is a keike and if there is one what do you do? Thanks.

[WhiteRabbit]

They can grow and bloom with multiple spikes. Age, genetics can be factors.

[tarev]

Yup, they can have multiple spikes..or a main spike with a secondary spike altogether too.

[Cntry]

Originally Posted by elbie

I am somewhat confused. I did not think that an orchid can have two separate growing spikes at the same time - both with buds. That is the situation with the orchid in the first picture. In the orchid in the second and third pictures the spike with the leaf is actually coming out from between leaves and there are leaves emerging on top of where the spike is coming out (not easy to see from the angle of the pictures). What exactly is a keike and if there is one what do you do? Thanks.

A Keiki is a babe orchid that forms on the mother plant. You just let it grown and enjoy it till its good size and has several roots about 2 to 3 inches long before you remove it from the mother. Just mist lightly the roots of the keiki once you see them. Be careful not to get the baby orchid wet if you do take a paper towel and dry it off. You don't want any water getting into the crown of your Phaleanopisis as it will cause your orchid to rot.
Happy growing.