I was given a phalaenopsis with two stems last year and these produced 13
flowers which lasted 8 months. During this period all the leaves except one
died.

I cut the two stems at the second node after flowering. One stem produced
two flowers after 5 months and the other stem produced two buds which fell
off as they opened and that stem has now withered.

The stem with the two good flowers is now producing tiny leaves at the
second node where it was cut the first year.

What is happening and should I cut this off to make a new plant or what?
Help please.

Brian

sounds like a kiki (entirely new orchid). if it looks like an entirely new
plant, wait for it to have 2 or 3 roots (3 is best), then slice it off the
stem and repot it, watering/spraying the kiki frequently until the roots
hold.







"Brian" wrote in message
...
I was given a phalaenopsis with two stems last year and these produced 13
flowers which lasted 8 months. During this period all the leaves except
one
died.

I cut the two stems at the second node after flowering. One stem
produced
two flowers after 5 months and the other stem produced two buds which
fell
off as they opened and that stem has now withered.

The stem with the two good flowers is now producing tiny leaves at the
second node where it was cut the first year.

What is happening and should I cut this off to make a new plant or what?
Help please.

Brian

Brian,

If I understand correctly, all the plant's leaves but one have died. If so,
your plant is trying, with some success, to produce a clone of itself, i.e.
a keike (baby, in Hawaiian). This occurs with some healthy Phals regularly,
and also when a Phal is about to go to the big orchid greenhouse in the sky
and wants to leave offspring. Nurture the new growth, keep the crown of the
plant dry, perhaps treat the crown with straight peroxide, and when you have
some roots on the keike (preferably a couple of inches, but judge by the
condition of the parent plant) either twist off the keike or cut the stem
and plant in new media.

Always keep the crown of Phals dry by the end of the day...water only in the
AM and provide enough air circulation to ensure that the leaves,, and
especially the crown, are dry by end of day.

Don't worry, be happy!

Diana

"Brian" wrote in message
...
I was given a phalaenopsis with two stems last year and these produced 13
flowers which lasted 8 months. During this period all the leaves except
one
died.

I cut the two stems at the second node after flowering. One stem
produced
two flowers after 5 months and the other stem produced two buds which
fell
off as they opened and that stem has now withered.

The stem with the two good flowers is now producing tiny leaves at the
second node where it was cut the first year.

What is happening and should I cut this off to make a new plant or what?
Help please.

Brian

Diana,

Many thanks for the info.

In fact the teeny leaves which start at the second node are upside down on
the stem !!

--
Kind regards,

Brian Eagles
Diana Kulaga wrote in message
rthlink.net...
Brian,

If I understand correctly, all the plant's leaves but one have died. If
so,
your plant is trying, with some success, to produce a clone of itself,
i.e.
a keike (baby, in Hawaiian). This occurs with some healthy Phals
regularly,
and also when a Phal is about to go to the big orchid greenhouse in the
sky
and wants to leave offspring. Nurture the new growth, keep the crown of
the
plant dry, perhaps treat the crown with straight peroxide, and when you
have
some roots on the keike (preferably a couple of inches, but judge by the
condition of the parent plant) either twist off the keike or cut the stem
and plant in new media.

Always keep the crown of Phals dry by the end of the day...water only in
the
AM and provide enough air circulation to ensure that the leaves,, and
especially the crown, are dry by end of day.

Don't worry, be happy!

Diana

"Brian" wrote in message
...
I was given a phalaenopsis with two stems last year and these produced
13
flowers which lasted 8 months. During this period all the leaves except
one
died.

I cut the two stems at the second node after flowering. One stem
produced
two flowers after 5 months and the other stem produced two buds which
fell
off as they opened and that stem has now withered.

The stem with the two good flowers is now producing tiny leaves at the
second node where it was cut the first year.

What is happening and should I cut this off to make a new plant or what?
Help please.

Brian