Great news!

My phalaenopsis is producing a spike! Or at least I think it's
producing a spike.

I thought that the new spike would emerge from the bottom of the
plant, around where the previous year's spike emerged from.
Previously, what I thought were two new spikes turned out to be two
new roots.

Today when I looked closely at the plant, I saw that a node is
beginning to grow out from the inside base of a leaf much higher up on
the plant. It actually skipped 2 leaves that had never produced a
spike from their bases. The plant grew three new leaves since I bought
it (when it was in spike).

Is there a pattern for new leaves and where the new spike will emerge?

I guess my cold treatments to the plant helped to get it going. Do I
need to continue the cold treatments to perhaps get it to produce a
second spike, or is one all that I'm going to get out of it?

Do I need to do anything special to help the spike grow and hopefully
branch lots of times? Lighting?

Thanks for your help!

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See my responses below.

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Great news!

My phalaenopsis is producing a spike! Or at least I think it's
producing a spike.

***[Joanna's comment:] Yay, that is great news. If you are not sure whether
it is a spike: Does the tip look more pointed than the tips of the roots?
How long is this spike, and if it is several inches long already does it
have nodes (subdevisions) in it?

I thought that the new spike would emerge from the bottom of the
plant, around where the previous year's spike emerged from.
Previously, what I thought were two new spikes turned out to be two
new roots.

Today when I looked closely at the plant, I saw that a node is
beginning to grow out from the inside base of a leaf much higher up on
the plant. It actually skipped 2 leaves that had never produced a
spike from their bases. The plant grew three new leaves since I bought
it (when it was in spike).

Is there a pattern for new leaves and where the new spike will emerge?

***[Joanna's comment:] If I recall you asked about this the last time, and
Al claimed that his Phals had a pattern to which leaf the spike is most
likely to emerge under. Unfortunately my Phals are not as well behaved as
Al's. Maybe they are not sufficiently well informed about the proper decorum
for spiking. Or maybe it's just that I have so many fewer plants than Al,
and it's not enough to see any pattern. In my apartment, there does not seem
any rhyme or reason for where a spike will emerge, and the places where
spikes can emerge are just like the places where roots can emerge -- in fact
I have one Phal in spike right now that has grown a root earlier this year,
and now it is growing a new spike right next to that aerial root, the spike
is vying with the root for space.

I guess my cold treatments to the plant helped to get it going. Do I
need to continue the cold treatments to perhaps get it to produce a
second spike, or is one all that I'm going to get out of it?

***[Joanna's comment:] I have been growing Phals for 3.5 years, and until
this year I was convinced that my conditions in my apartment were not good
enough to have two spikes. Then this year, I got several of my Phals to
initiatie a second spike. I like to think that it is because I have learned
more about Phal culture and am treating them better now, but to be honest I
don't know whether that's what caused all the double-spiking and
twice-a-year spiking here. I would suggest that you expect only one spike
from your Phal, and then if you get a second you will be pleasantly
surprised. Also, I believe that once it initiates spike the day-night
difference is not as important any more.

Do I need to do anything special to help the spike grow and hopefully
branch lots of times? Lighting?

***[Joanna's comment:] I think branching depends mostly on genetic reasons:
some Phals are more likely to branch than others. I have not heard of
anything that can be done to encourage branching. As for light, if your Phal
is spiking for you, I think this means it's satisfied with the amoutn of
light it is getting.

Thanks for your help!

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com

See my responses below.

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Great news!

My phalaenopsis is producing a spike! Or at least I think it's
producing a spike.

***[Joanna's comment:] Yay, that is great news. If you are not sure whether
it is a spike: Does the tip look more pointed than the tips of the roots?
How long is this spike, and if it is several inches long already does it
have nodes (subdevisions) in it?

I thought that the new spike would emerge from the bottom of the
plant, around where the previous year's spike emerged from.
Previously, what I thought were two new spikes turned out to be two
new roots.

Today when I looked closely at the plant, I saw that a node is
beginning to grow out from the inside base of a leaf much higher up on
the plant. It actually skipped 2 leaves that had never produced a
spike from their bases. The plant grew three new leaves since I bought
it (when it was in spike).

Is there a pattern for new leaves and where the new spike will emerge?

***[Joanna's comment:] If I recall you asked about this the last time, and
Al claimed that his Phals had a pattern to which leaf the spike is most
likely to emerge under. Unfortunately my Phals are not as well behaved as
Al's. Maybe they are not sufficiently well informed about the proper decorum
for spiking. Or maybe it's just that I have so many fewer plants than Al,
and it's not enough to see any pattern. In my apartment, there does not seem
any rhyme or reason for where a spike will emerge, and the places where
spikes can emerge are just like the places where roots can emerge -- in fact
I have one Phal in spike right now that has grown a root earlier this year,
and now it is growing a new spike right next to that aerial root, the spike
is vying with the root for space.

I guess my cold treatments to the plant helped to get it going. Do I
need to continue the cold treatments to perhaps get it to produce a
second spike, or is one all that I'm going to get out of it?

***[Joanna's comment:] I have been growing Phals for 3.5 years, and until
this year I was convinced that my conditions in my apartment were not good
enough to have two spikes. Then this year, I got several of my Phals to
initiatie a second spike. I like to think that it is because I have learned
more about Phal culture and am treating them better now, but to be honest I
don't know whether that's what caused all the double-spiking and
twice-a-year spiking here. I would suggest that you expect only one spike
from your Phal, and then if you get a second you will be pleasantly
surprised. Also, I believe that once it initiates spike the day-night
difference is not as important any more.

Do I need to do anything special to help the spike grow and hopefully
branch lots of times? Lighting?

***[Joanna's comment:] I think branching depends mostly on genetic reasons:
some Phals are more likely to branch than others. I have not heard of
anything that can be done to encourage branching. As for light, if your Phal
is spiking for you, I think this means it's satisfied with the amoutn of
light it is getting.

Thanks for your help!

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com

Joanna,

Thanks for your reply. Your comments are always very helpful.

I am wondering about double spiking. When people say they have 2, 3,
4, or more spikes, does that mean that their phal produced them all in
the same time frame? Or do people consider double spiking when they
leave their old spikes and later when they flower again, they count
them in with the new spikes produced by the plant?

Can a phal spike from the same location where a previous spike was cut
from?

Mike

On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 14:40:41 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:

See my responses below.

"Mike" wrote in message
.. .
Great news!

My phalaenopsis is producing a spike! Or at least I think it's
producing a spike.

***[Joanna's comment:] Yay, that is great news. If you are not sure whether
it is a spike: Does the tip look more pointed than the tips of the roots?
How long is this spike, and if it is several inches long already does it
have nodes (subdevisions) in it?

I thought that the new spike would emerge from the bottom of the
plant, around where the previous year's spike emerged from.
Previously, what I thought were two new spikes turned out to be two
new roots.

Today when I looked closely at the plant, I saw that a node is
beginning to grow out from the inside base of a leaf much higher up on
the plant. It actually skipped 2 leaves that had never produced a
spike from their bases. The plant grew three new leaves since I bought
it (when it was in spike).

Is there a pattern for new leaves and where the new spike will emerge?

***[Joanna's comment:] If I recall you asked about this the last time, and
Al claimed that his Phals had a pattern to which leaf the spike is most
likely to emerge under. Unfortunately my Phals are not as well behaved as
Al's. Maybe they are not sufficiently well informed about the proper decorum
for spiking. Or maybe it's just that I have so many fewer plants than Al,
and it's not enough to see any pattern. In my apartment, there does not seem
any rhyme or reason for where a spike will emerge, and the places where
spikes can emerge are just like the places where roots can emerge -- in fact
I have one Phal in spike right now that has grown a root earlier this year,
and now it is growing a new spike right next to that aerial root, the spike
is vying with the root for space.

I guess my cold treatments to the plant helped to get it going. Do I
need to continue the cold treatments to perhaps get it to produce a
second spike, or is one all that I'm going to get out of it?

***[Joanna's comment:] I have been growing Phals for 3.5 years, and until
this year I was convinced that my conditions in my apartment were not good
enough to have two spikes. Then this year, I got several of my Phals to
initiatie a second spike. I like to think that it is because I have learned
more about Phal culture and am treating them better now, but to be honest I
don't know whether that's what caused all the double-spiking and
twice-a-year spiking here. I would suggest that you expect only one spike
from your Phal, and then if you get a second you will be pleasantly
surprised. Also, I believe that once it initiates spike the day-night
difference is not as important any more.

Do I need to do anything special to help the spike grow and hopefully
branch lots of times? Lighting?

***[Joanna's comment:] I think branching depends mostly on genetic reasons:
some Phals are more likely to branch than others. I have not heard of
anything that can be done to encourage branching. As for light, if your Phal
is spiking for you, I think this means it's satisfied with the amoutn of
light it is getting.

Thanks for your help!

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
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Joanna,

Thanks for your reply. Your comments are always very helpful.

I am wondering about double spiking. When people say they have 2, 3,
4, or more spikes, does that mean that their phal produced them all in
the same time frame? Or do people consider double spiking when they
leave their old spikes and later when they flower again, they count
them in with the new spikes produced by the plant?

Can a phal spike from the same location where a previous spike was cut
from?

Mike

On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 14:40:41 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:

See my responses below.

"Mike" wrote in message
.. .
Great news!

My phalaenopsis is producing a spike! Or at least I think it's
producing a spike.

***[Joanna's comment:] Yay, that is great news. If you are not sure whether
it is a spike: Does the tip look more pointed than the tips of the roots?
How long is this spike, and if it is several inches long already does it
have nodes (subdevisions) in it?

I thought that the new spike would emerge from the bottom of the
plant, around where the previous year's spike emerged from.
Previously, what I thought were two new spikes turned out to be two
new roots.

Today when I looked closely at the plant, I saw that a node is
beginning to grow out from the inside base of a leaf much higher up on
the plant. It actually skipped 2 leaves that had never produced a
spike from their bases. The plant grew three new leaves since I bought
it (when it was in spike).

Is there a pattern for new leaves and where the new spike will emerge?

***[Joanna's comment:] If I recall you asked about this the last time, and
Al claimed that his Phals had a pattern to which leaf the spike is most
likely to emerge under. Unfortunately my Phals are not as well behaved as
Al's. Maybe they are not sufficiently well informed about the proper decorum
for spiking. Or maybe it's just that I have so many fewer plants than Al,
and it's not enough to see any pattern. In my apartment, there does not seem
any rhyme or reason for where a spike will emerge, and the places where
spikes can emerge are just like the places where roots can emerge -- in fact
I have one Phal in spike right now that has grown a root earlier this year,
and now it is growing a new spike right next to that aerial root, the spike
is vying with the root for space.

I guess my cold treatments to the plant helped to get it going. Do I
need to continue the cold treatments to perhaps get it to produce a
second spike, or is one all that I'm going to get out of it?

***[Joanna's comment:] I have been growing Phals for 3.5 years, and until
this year I was convinced that my conditions in my apartment were not good
enough to have two spikes. Then this year, I got several of my Phals to
initiatie a second spike. I like to think that it is because I have learned
more about Phal culture and am treating them better now, but to be honest I
don't know whether that's what caused all the double-spiking and
twice-a-year spiking here. I would suggest that you expect only one spike
from your Phal, and then if you get a second you will be pleasantly
surprised. Also, I believe that once it initiates spike the day-night
difference is not as important any more.

Do I need to do anything special to help the spike grow and hopefully
branch lots of times? Lighting?

***[Joanna's comment:] I think branching depends mostly on genetic reasons:
some Phals are more likely to branch than others. I have not heard of
anything that can be done to encourage branching. As for light, if your Phal
is spiking for you, I think this means it's satisfied with the amoutn of
light it is getting.

Thanks for your help!

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com



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----------------------------------------------------------
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Hi Mike, I can't give you any tips on growing phals, I don't grow them well?
As far as your question about anything else to do, my mentor stakes
his spikes when they are about 6" long to keep them growing straight
up.
He said it makes for a better display & the plant is more secure
with the weight of the flowers.

--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

Mike wrote:
Great news!

My phalaenopsis is producing a spike! Or at least I think it's
producing a spike.

I thought that the new spike would emerge from the bottom of the
plant, around where the previous year's spike emerged from.
Previously, what I thought were two new spikes turned out to be two
new roots.

Today when I looked closely at the plant, I saw that a node is
beginning to grow out from the inside base of a leaf much higher up on
the plant. It actually skipped 2 leaves that had never produced a
spike from their bases. The plant grew three new leaves since I bought
it (when it was in spike).

Is there a pattern for new leaves and where the new spike will emerge?

I guess my cold treatments to the plant helped to get it going. Do I
need to continue the cold treatments to perhaps get it to produce a
second spike, or is one all that I'm going to get out of it?

Do I need to do anything special to help the spike grow and hopefully
branch lots of times? Lighting?

Thanks for your help!

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com

Hi Mike, I can't give you any tips on growing phals, I don't grow them well?
As far as your question about anything else to do, my mentor stakes
his spikes when they are about 6" long to keep them growing straight
up.
He said it makes for a better display & the plant is more secure
with the weight of the flowers.

--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

Mike wrote:
Great news!

My phalaenopsis is producing a spike! Or at least I think it's
producing a spike.

I thought that the new spike would emerge from the bottom of the
plant, around where the previous year's spike emerged from.
Previously, what I thought were two new spikes turned out to be two
new roots.

Today when I looked closely at the plant, I saw that a node is
beginning to grow out from the inside base of a leaf much higher up on
the plant. It actually skipped 2 leaves that had never produced a
spike from their bases. The plant grew three new leaves since I bought
it (when it was in spike).

Is there a pattern for new leaves and where the new spike will emerge?

I guess my cold treatments to the plant helped to get it going. Do I
need to continue the cold treatments to perhaps get it to produce a
second spike, or is one all that I'm going to get out of it?

Do I need to do anything special to help the spike grow and hopefully
branch lots of times? Lighting?

Thanks for your help!

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com

Mike,
Can you explain what you mean by "cold treatments"? I've heard of
people putting their phals in the refrigerator to encourage spiking,
and I've always wondered about that. I would think it would be too
dry in the fridge!

Mike,
Can you explain what you mean by "cold treatments"? I've heard of
people putting their phals in the refrigerator to encourage spiking,
and I've always wondered about that. I would think it would be too
dry in the fridge!

many phals need a day-night temperature drop of 10°-15°F for a couple of
weeks in order to stimulate the initiation of a flower spike. Usually,
leaving the plant near a window is good enough. I think the fridge idea is
a bit extreme.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
..
"schusteroni" wrote in message
om...
Mike,
Can you explain what you mean by "cold treatments"? I've heard of
people putting their phals in the refrigerator to encourage spiking,
and I've always wondered about that. I would think it would be too
dry in the fridge!

Ray wrote:
many phals need a day-night temperature drop of 10°-15°F for a couple of
weeks in order to stimulate the initiation of a flower spike. Usually,
leaving the plant near a window is good enough. I think the fridge idea is
a bit extreme.

Being stingy and not turning on the furnace until it is really necessary
seems to do the trick for me...

--Matt