On 01/02/16 22:58, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Roger Tonkin" wrote


I've never managed to have more than one flower spike at a
time. I just put them up into a cool north facing room once
they've finished flowering, until the next spike develops.


It's a change in temperature that initiates flowering in these orchids. You
probably already know, but never cut off a flower spike unless it goes brown
as they usually re-flower on the same spike by extending it or branching.
You may also get a Keiki, a baby plant, grow on the old spike which you can
leave for as long as possible to get good roots before cutting off and
potting up.

I've had a Keiki on one of my phals for around a year. The roots are
around 20cm long, so I guess I can pot it up. I was wondering about
leaving it on the original plant to see if I could get a Keiki on a
Keiki in a few years!

A friend bought us a flowering phal from M&S a couple of years ago. It
had three flower spikes, somewhat unusually. But a few months ago the
leaves started going black and have all gone, leaving a hard stump. It
is still flowering on one spike, but will it produce new leaves from the
stump or maybe elsewhere? Or not at all, for that matter, and pass on...

--

Jeff