{Question from England] I have a pair of cymbidiums that are well
established over 6 years in my care and one has been flowering with a single
spike for the past 2. The other hasn't flowered for 3 years and has just
recently pushed up two strong spikes followed by another two which are still
at the "wrapped in leaves" stage. Hooray - I thought!

This morning we discovered that the two larger spikes which were in the
process of unfurling the buds and about 9" have "snapped" off overnight,
halfway up the stems. The break is clean and there is a bead of moisture
sitting on the top of both open stems.

These were both given identical treatment and spent the entire summer
outdoors and about a 6 weeks ago were brought into an indoor room which is
not particularly warm. They are by a window and receive a few hours of
dappled sunlight each morning and ordinary daylight for the rest.

The other cymbidium has remained in full magnificent flower for a month!

I gave them a small amount of "orchid fertiliser" 3 weeks ago and they
appear slightly moist but definitely not wet.

Can anyone help, please? Any advice will be gratefully appreciated!

______________________________________
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Do you own a cat or dog?

That sounds like a mechanical break of an otherwise healthy spike, to me.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

.. . . . . . . . . . .
"{masked}" wrote in message
...
{Question from England] I have a pair of cymbidiums that are well
established over 6 years in my care and one has been flowering with a
single
spike for the past 2. The other hasn't flowered for 3 years and has just
recently pushed up two strong spikes followed by another two which are
still
at the "wrapped in leaves" stage. Hooray - I thought!

This morning we discovered that the two larger spikes which were in the
process of unfurling the buds and about 9" have "snapped" off overnight,
halfway up the stems. The break is clean and there is a bead of moisture
sitting on the top of both open stems.

These were both given identical treatment and spent the entire summer
outdoors and about a 6 weeks ago were brought into an indoor room which is
not particularly warm. They are by a window and receive a few hours of
dappled sunlight each morning and ordinary daylight for the rest.

The other cymbidium has remained in full magnificent flower for a month!

I gave them a small amount of "orchid fertiliser" 3 weeks ago and they
appear slightly moist but definitely not wet.

Can anyone help, please? Any advice will be gratefully appreciated!

______________________________________
Advertise for free on www.my-ads.co.uk

Hi Ray,

This is what really surprised us for it looks like a straight-forward
mechanical break halfway up the spike.

We don't have any house pets and both pots are on a desk by a window which
has a blind that is accessed some 5 feet away from the nearest plant. There
is no need to reach over the plants. Also only one grown-up [allegedly] son
remaining at home who seldom ventures into my office - so no young kids to
throw balls etc.

Nigel


"Ray" wrote in message
...
Do you own a cat or dog?

That sounds like a mechanical break of an otherwise healthy spike, to me.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

. . . . . . . . . . .
"{masked}" wrote in message
...
{Question from England] I have a pair of cymbidiums that are well
established over 6 years in my care and one has been flowering with a
single
spike for the past 2. The other hasn't flowered for 3 years and has just
recently pushed up two strong spikes followed by another two which are
still
at the "wrapped in leaves" stage. Hooray - I thought!

This morning we discovered that the two larger spikes which were in the
process of unfurling the buds and about 9" have "snapped" off overnight,
halfway up the stems. The break is clean and there is a bead of moisture
sitting on the top of both open stems.

These were both given identical treatment and spent the entire summer
outdoors and about a 6 weeks ago were brought into an indoor room which
is
not particularly warm. They are by a window and receive a few hours of
dappled sunlight each morning and ordinary daylight for the rest.

The other cymbidium has remained in full magnificent flower for a month!

I gave them a small amount of "orchid fertiliser" 3 weeks ago and they
appear slightly moist but definitely not wet.

Can anyone help, please? Any advice will be gratefully appreciated!

______________________________________
Advertise for free on www.my-ads.co.uk

"Ray" wrote in message ...
Do you own a cat or dog?

That sounds like a mechanical break of an otherwise healthy spike, to me.


That's what it sounds like to me too. I have three cats. Though they
have
never damaged an orchid, they have managed to wreak havoc on a couple
of cacti.

They enjoy rubbing themselves on the spines, for some perverse feline
reason. In doing so they have knocked new pads off opuntia and
tephrocacti.

I lecture them about it, but they ignore me.

J. Del Col

Nigel,

I can think of no "physiological" reason why such a thing would happen
without the application of outside force...

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

.. . . . . . . . . . .
"{masked}" wrote in message
...
Hi Ray,

This is what really surprised us for it looks like a straight-forward
mechanical break halfway up the spike.

We don't have any house pets and both pots are on a desk by a window which
has a blind that is accessed some 5 feet away from the nearest plant.
There
is no need to reach over the plants. Also only one grown-up [allegedly]
son
remaining at home who seldom ventures into my office - so no young kids to
throw balls etc.

Nigel


"Ray" wrote in message
...
Do you own a cat or dog?

That sounds like a mechanical break of an otherwise healthy spike, to
me.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

. . . . . . . . . . .
"{masked}" wrote in message
...
{Question from England] I have a pair of cymbidiums that are well
established over 6 years in my care and one has been flowering with a
single
spike for the past 2. The other hasn't flowered for 3 years and has
just
recently pushed up two strong spikes followed by another two which are
still
at the "wrapped in leaves" stage. Hooray - I thought!

This morning we discovered that the two larger spikes which were in
the
process of unfurling the buds and about 9" have "snapped" off
overnight,
halfway up the stems. The break is clean and there is a bead of
moisture
sitting on the top of both open stems.

These were both given identical treatment and spent the entire summer
outdoors and about a 6 weeks ago were brought into an indoor room
which
is
not particularly warm. They are by a window and receive a few hours of
dappled sunlight each morning and ordinary daylight for the rest.

The other cymbidium has remained in full magnificent flower for a
month!

I gave them a small amount of "orchid fertiliser" 3 weeks ago and they
appear slightly moist but definitely not wet.

Can anyone help, please? Any advice will be gratefully appreciated!

______________________________________
Advertise for free on www.my-ads.co.uk

On Fri, 7 Nov 2003 09:05:06 -0000, "{masked}"
wrote:

This morning we discovered that the two larger spikes which were in the
process of unfurling the buds and about 9" have "snapped" off overnight,
halfway up the stems. The break is clean and there is a bead of moisture
sitting on the top of both open stems.

Considering you don't have pets or wayward children, I'll take a WAG
and suggest a mouse, or some similar creature, climbing the stalk to
munch a bud.

bb

On Fri, 07 Nov 2003 14:24:38 GMT, bb wrote:

On Fri, 7 Nov 2003 09:05:06 -0000, "{masked}"
wrote:

This morning we discovered that the two larger spikes which were in the
process of unfurling the buds and about 9" have "snapped" off overnight,
halfway up the stems. The break is clean and there is a bead of moisture
sitting on the top of both open stems.

Considering you don't have pets or wayward children, I'll take a WAG
and suggest a mouse, or some similar creature, climbing the stalk to
munch a bud.

bb

Your sure there is no munch on center of the bend? A Slug/Snail
munch can weaken a stem so that it will bend forward over the
cut. Much as a logger cuts a wedge on the side he wants to fell
the tree.
SuE
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