I have a milt going on its first bloom since purchase, unfortunately
by the time I noticed it was trying to bloom, the stalk had aparantly
become stuck within the leaf it was exiting. The stalk zig-zagged and
turned back on itself as a result. The first flower was allready about
to open (2-3days off)at this point! Having had disastrous results
handling small spikes on other plants in the past, I was reluctant to
fool around with this one. In desperation, I trimmed off the leaf it
was stuck in, just below the lowest bud on the spike.

Was this the correct action? Is there anything else I could have done?

When I purchased this plant, it only had one flower on it. This year,
it has two. I can only assume the growing conditions are correct, and
only 1 or 2 flowers are normal for this plant?

Thanks for your help, any tips would be much apreciated.

Gary

Email does not work, old dead account (to avoid spam)

I think it was a novel solution to the problem. You don't need to justify
your self to us. You had good reason to do what you did and I don't think
the plant will suffer from the lack of one leaf. Cosmetically it may look
weird, but hey, maybe the blooms will cover it, *G*.

In terms of why this may have happened in the first place may be a slightly
lower than what the plant expects humidity (making the leaf tight). But I'm
not sure. Sometimes this just happens. If it keeps hapenning then raise
the humidity.....

K Barrett
"Gary DeWitt" wrote in message
om...
I have a milt going on its first bloom since purchase, unfortunately
by the time I noticed it was trying to bloom, the stalk had aparantly
become stuck within the leaf it was exiting. The stalk zig-zagged and
turned back on itself as a result. The first flower was allready about
to open (2-3days off)at this point! Having had disastrous results
handling small spikes on other plants in the past, I was reluctant to
fool around with this one. In desperation, I trimmed off the leaf it
was stuck in, just below the lowest bud on the spike.

Was this the correct action? Is there anything else I could have done?

When I purchased this plant, it only had one flower on it. This year,
it has two. I can only assume the growing conditions are correct, and
only 1 or 2 flowers are normal for this plant?

Thanks for your help, any tips would be much apreciated.

Gary

Email does not work, old dead account (to avoid spam)

I think it was a novel solution to the problem. You don't need to justify
your self to us. You had good reason to do what you did and I don't think
the plant will suffer from the lack of one leaf. Cosmetically it may look
weird, but hey, maybe the blooms will cover it, *G*.

In terms of why this may have happened in the first place may be a slightly
lower than what the plant expects humidity (making the leaf tight). But I'm
not sure. Sometimes this just happens. If it keeps hapenning then raise
the humidity.....

K Barrett
"Gary DeWitt" wrote in message
om...
I have a milt going on its first bloom since purchase, unfortunately
by the time I noticed it was trying to bloom, the stalk had aparantly
become stuck within the leaf it was exiting. The stalk zig-zagged and
turned back on itself as a result. The first flower was allready about
to open (2-3days off)at this point! Having had disastrous results
handling small spikes on other plants in the past, I was reluctant to
fool around with this one. In desperation, I trimmed off the leaf it
was stuck in, just below the lowest bud on the spike.

Was this the correct action? Is there anything else I could have done?

When I purchased this plant, it only had one flower on it. This year,
it has two. I can only assume the growing conditions are correct, and
only 1 or 2 flowers are normal for this plant?

Thanks for your help, any tips would be much apreciated.

Gary

Email does not work, old dead account (to avoid spam)

I agree totally with Kathy.

While I might have split the leaf rather than removing it, nobody can fault
the effort - and as I didn't see the plant first hand, I very well might
have done the same.

Look at it this way: more experimentation - good or bad - leads to be
betterment of the hobby. Don't you (any of us) DARE withhold info!!!

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
..
"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:UROXc.244994$eM2.126908@attbi_s51...
I think it was a novel solution to the problem. You don't need to justify
your self to us. You had good reason to do what you did and I don't think
the plant will suffer from the lack of one leaf. Cosmetically it may look
weird, but hey, maybe the blooms will cover it, *G*.

In terms of why this may have happened in the first place may be a
slightly
lower than what the plant expects humidity (making the leaf tight). But
I'm
not sure. Sometimes this just happens. If it keeps hapenning then raise
the humidity.....

K Barrett
"Gary DeWitt" wrote in message
om...
I have a milt going on its first bloom since purchase, unfortunately
by the time I noticed it was trying to bloom, the stalk had aparantly
become stuck within the leaf it was exiting. The stalk zig-zagged and
turned back on itself as a result. The first flower was allready about
to open (2-3days off)at this point! Having had disastrous results
handling small spikes on other plants in the past, I was reluctant to
fool around with this one. In desperation, I trimmed off the leaf it
was stuck in, just below the lowest bud on the spike.

Was this the correct action? Is there anything else I could have done?

When I purchased this plant, it only had one flower on it. This year,
it has two. I can only assume the growing conditions are correct, and
only 1 or 2 flowers are normal for this plant?

Thanks for your help, any tips would be much apreciated.

Gary

Email does not work, old dead account (to avoid spam)

Gary DeWitt wrote:
I have a milt going on its first bloom since purchase, unfortunately
by the time I noticed it was trying to bloom, the stalk had aparantly
become stuck within the leaf it was exiting. The stalk zig-zagged and
turned back on itself as a result. The first flower was allready about
to open (2-3days off)at this point! Having had disastrous results
handling small spikes on other plants in the past, I was reluctant to
fool around with this one. In desperation, I trimmed off the leaf it
was stuck in, just below the lowest bud on the spike.

Was this the correct action? Is there anything else I could have done?

Do you grow indoors? This happens to me somewhat often, and I believe
this is a result of low humidity. Your solution sounds like it worked,
but I don't think I would have tried it myself.

I use two methods to "help" the inflorescence.

1. I make sure the Milts get a very heavy misting in the morning, and
if I am home they get misting throughout the day. The water helps
lubricate everything.

2. After a misting, you can very carefully pry the inflorescence out of
the leaf. I avoid this step whenever possible since it is very easy
to do damage.

HTH

--Matt

Thanks for the help, all.
The milt seems none the worse for missing a leaf (it has recently put
out several new ones, after all) and the two flowers are doing fine.
The plant is in an east facing window with wavy glass in a bathroom,
where it gets plenty of humidity twice or more per day. I don't have
the time or patience to mist my orchids, but I get flowers out of the
mature ones nonetheless.

I've always hated misting orchids anyway. IMHO it just leads to crown rot.
(YMMV.)

Good growing Gary,

K Barrett
"Gary DeWitt" wrote in message
om...
Thanks for the help, all.
The milt seems none the worse for missing a leaf (it has recently put
out several new ones, after all) and the two flowers are doing fine.
The plant is in an east facing window with wavy glass in a bathroom,
where it gets plenty of humidity twice or more per day. I don't have
the time or patience to mist my orchids, but I get flowers out of the
mature ones nonetheless.

I've always hated misting orchids anyway. IMHO it just leads to crown rot.
(YMMV.)

Good growing Gary,

K Barrett
"Gary DeWitt" wrote in message
om...
Thanks for the help, all.
The milt seems none the worse for missing a leaf (it has recently put
out several new ones, after all) and the two flowers are doing fine.
The plant is in an east facing window with wavy glass in a bathroom,
where it gets plenty of humidity twice or more per day. I don't have
the time or patience to mist my orchids, but I get flowers out of the
mature ones nonetheless.