Pilottraining asked 14 years ago
I have a phalaeonopsis in a southern exposure window for about 8 months now that has done very well. After the first flowers wilted, I pruned the spike down and got two new offshoots from the spike, each of which carried a full load of blooms for several months. Throughout all this, the plant has seemed very healthy and has grown a couple of new leaves. About 3 weeks ago, just as the second set of blooms were beginning to wilt, new spikes began to develop at the base of the plant. There are now seven growing! There is also one that appeared in the soil several inches from the base of the plant. My questions are: 1) Should I allow all 7 of these spikes to continue to grow or should I prune all except on or two, and if so, should I keep the older (lower) spikes? 2) Is it likely that the spike growing from the soil away from the plant is a baby and if so, how can I determine when the best time is to separate it from the original plant? Any guidance that can be offered would be helpful. I’d love the idea of numerous spikes covered with flowers of course, but don’t know that this is feasable or even a good idea. Anyone run into this before? I am new to growning orchids and this moth orchid is my first attempt.
1 Answers
Gerry Daly Staff answered 6 years ago
This plant must be very well suited in its position and care. It is unusual to see that many spikes, but leave them all and see how it does.
The shoot at a distance is probably a root as these push up often. It sometimes produces off-sets and plantlets on old flower stems. If you have an offset, let it get wll established, with its own roots, before detaching in spring.
