Terminal Spike on a 2+ Yr Old Phal?
 

Hi, everyone - I am basically an orchid newbie. The Phal in the attached pics was gifted to us by our real estate agent (bought at a Trader Joe’s) about 2.5 years ago and I repotted her about 2 about years ago. She came with a few bad areas on a couple of early leaves, but that never spread after she got some TLC.

She sent up very healthy spikes a year after repotting - I ended up with more than 20 giant, gorgeous blooms (pic attached) and she’s otherwise been putting out healthy-looking green leaves along the way.

I just noticed this odd leaf concoction with what looks to be a flower spike in the middle. It popped up very fast. Is this a terminal spike? I was planning to repot her again this spring but now I’m wondering what to do.

Thanks in advance for any insight. I hate to think this is a terminal and that she’s on her way out :shock:

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Terminal means from the end of the stem, like a train terminal, not death. Phals normally clump from the base. It is likely your plant will make a new growth. This might take well over a year. Don't worry.

I’ve had some of my Phalaenopsis produce terminal spikes too. They didn’t miss a beat. Instead of initiating a new leaf from the main growth, they initiated a side growth. The next year they either sent up a new spike from the main growth or from the base of the side growth. No special treatment in terms of altering your repotting schedule needs to happen.

Thank you both! This is my first little orchid, so all of this is pretty new to me.

hi Zeus, your phal is enormous. Whoever gave it to you had been growing it for a long time already - it's in great shape.

I've always wondered what happens to phals once they get this huge and I think you have answered my question with your pictures. The plant has lots of leaf nodes so there is nothing preventing it from growing new flower spikes for the next couple of years which it should do with good care.
Normally a phal will grow a new leaf and flower from the lowest leaf node and this carries on and carries on, sometimes a node can produce more than one flower spike even.
In your case what should theoretically happen is that the plant will produce a new plant called a keiki but like mentioned the plant will still be able to flower at the same time. After a year or two the new little plant can be cut off from the motherplant and you will have a brand new smaller version to start growing again - the motherplant eventually should not die, it should produce more side-plants eventually too.

Thank you, orchidtinkerer! I’m glad it looks healthy. Honestly, it was a little itty bitty thing when our real estate agent left it in our new kitchen it as a gift. If memory serves, it had just a couple - or maybe 4 - semi-healthy green leaves and an almost-spent flower spike. Of course, it was also almost to the point of suffocation in the small plastic Trader Joe’s container (poor thing). The attached picture that’s in bloom was last spring, so about 1.5 years after I got it.

I’ve been really coddling it for the last 2.5 years, so maybe that explains it. I think I was just lucky and happened to pick the right window and pot, which helped.

I didn’t realize it was big, ha ha. I’ve just been watching it grow taller and add leaves. Can’t wait to see if a little keiki develops.

:rofl:
I learn something new here every day eheheheh

Update: She’s Blooming!
 

Hi, everyone - thank you, again, for the info on my monster Phal’s “terminal spike”.

She’s now blooming like crazy and seems pretty happy. I have counted 30 buds and open flowers this year, versus the 22 I had last year. The faces are turned around a little since I moved her to the dining room table, but I kinda like the weird shape of the stem.

I hope she puts out a baby clone at some point. :blushing:

If the plant does new growths at the base, they're not really "keikis", but rather part of the plant - you don't want to try to split them off, that can kill the plant. But if it makes new growths and forms a clump, you can end up with a spectacular display as each growth can bloom. If it starts a new plant on one of the nodes of the flower spike, and it develops roots, THAT is a keiki than can be separated and planted separately once it has good roots.

WOW, Zeus!! This baby is such a HUGE beauty!! She looks amazing! :shock: :photo:

I think everything you've been doing for her has clearly been working! This is serious phal #goals and I hope I can one day boast of an orchid this big <3