Sunday, March 14, 2010

I cut my Phalaenopsis flower stems down to about 1" before I knew better....?

I cut my Phalaenopsis flower stems down to about 1" before I knew better back in July. Now I have these root looking things growing out of the pot and 2 new leaves growing seperately. Are these root looking things flower stems and will they eventually grow flowers? If they are roots do I plant then in the soil and will I ever regrow a flower stem?
I cut my Phalaenopsis flower stems down to about 1" before I knew better....?
I am going to disagree with the first answer on a couple of points.


I have been growing orchids 30 years and have made about every mistake possible at least once, but I have learned a few things along the way.





You were right in thinking that the bloom spike on the Phalaenopsis should have been left on the plant. When left on the plant a spike has an opportunity to rebloom for over a year continuously. Also plantlets can form on the flower spike without draining the mother plant. Next time just cut the spike just above the node closest to where the first flower was.


New roots on this type orchid have a tip that is green when in active growth. Do not disturb the roots, they are fragile and won’t branch easily if damaged when very short.


You can tell if it is a root by misting it. The cork layer of the root will change to a green shade as it absorbs the water.


The oldest leaves do not necessarily die in a healthy plant, many Phalaenopsis can have 8-10 big leaves on them when they are really happy. They can have multiple bloom spikes as well. Fertilize with a water soluble feed that is higher in nitrogen if it is planted in new bark (30-10-10). If it is in gravel, lava, clay pieces or another inert material use an even feed (20-20-20). Either way use them at about ¼ strength of the label instructions and you will never burn them or get salt buildup. If the plant is in long fibered sphagnum moss, use an even feed.


Never water toward the center of phales, it can cause crown rot. It is not necessary to repot every year, you can refurbish the growing medium by adding more where the old stuff has gone mushy. Let the roots that grow go where they want, they don't need to be underground to do what they need to do
Reply:You didn't do anything wrong.





A Phalaenopsis orchid blooms once a year. After the flowers drop you should cut the spike back to near the base as you have done.





After it blooms, the plant will send out new roots that will tend to grow out of the pot. You can tell a root from a new flower spike by the following charactersitics:





A new flower spike will be green all the way to the tip and will tend to grow upward towards the light as soon at it clears the leaves.





A new root will always have a tan tip with the rest of it covered by a whitish spongy material. This is a very absorbant structure that helps the orchid take up water. It will tend to grow out of the pot, but that's not a problem. In nature Phalaenopsis orchids typically grow on the sides of trees using the roots to anchor to the bark. They are not parasitic.





Regarding the new laeves, if they are growing out of the crown (center) of the plant, that also is normal. The next thing that will happen is that one or two of the oldest leaves will turn brown and die. They should be removed very carefully so that you do not damage the new roots.





If the new leaves are growing from the old flower splike, this is also normal, but not as common. They are called Keikis ("babies" in Hawaiian). Let them grow until they send out their own new roots and the roots are at least one inch long. They can then be cut from the old spike and planted.





One last thing. Phalaenopsis orchids like to be repotted in fresh coase bark once a year. NEVER plant an orchid in potting soil. Orchids need air circulating around their roots. As the bark breaks down, air circulation is not as effective and the roots will rot. Carefully remove the plant from the pot and VERY carefully remove the old bark from the roots. It will help if you soak the root ball in water for a few minutes. That way the bark can be removed with less damage. Cut off any old rotted roots. Clean the pot and repot the plant with new bark. It is best to have the newest roots very cose to the surface - that is do not pot the plant very deep. Don't pack the bark around the roots; that would damage them. The bark is there for only 2 reasons:





1- To proivide support for the plant


2- To retain some moisture for the plant





Hope that helps. There are many web sites available that provide tips for growing orchids.














Comments RE: Fluffy the wonderdog





One thing about growing orchids is that everybody has different opinions.





Yes, if you cut the flower spike back to just above a node (it doesn't have to be the last one), it MAY continue to bloom, and Keikis MAY form at the remaining nodes. But bottom line is that you did not damage the plant by cutting the spike back to near the base.





Regarding the roots, the Phals the I have all show a slightly tan tip, and they are very healthy.





Also, I have never seen a Phal that did not at some point lose its lowest leaves. And I have answered many frantic calls from people worrying that their plant was dying because the lowest leaves were browning off. This is natural and not a sign of a plant in distress.





Regarding repotting - The vast majority of books on the subject recommend repotting Phals once a year, some every 6 months. I wonder how you are supposed to replace the "mushy" bark without repotting the orchid since the bark that breaks down tends to be at the bottom of the pot, not at the surface. Sure, you can get away with a longer time between repotting, but keeping to a schedule helps you to avoid having a plant go into distress due to neglect.





It is useful to understand the natural growth habit of Phals in the wild. They tend to grow on trees with the crown oriented to the side so that it naturally drains rain water (and avoids the rot that can occur in a potted plant if you let water sit in the crown). The roots adhere to the tree and are not covered by soil or leaf litter, so they have plenty of air circulation.





Regarding growth medium, sure there are others besides bark, and you can leave a layer of gravel in the bottom of the pot as well. So to with styrofome peanuts, clay pot shardsetc.





Regarding fertilizer. For Phals you should really use a urea-free fertilizer. Grow-More makes 4 different orchid fertlizers. Use the Green for Phal growth (its is specifically for Phals) and the Blue to promote blooming.





Again, I could go on, and everybody has their own "secrets". Try visiting some orchid web sites for advise - again they all have different recommendations. One good one is www.sborchid.com. I have also visited their nursery many times and the people are very helpful. I have sent then questions by e-mail and gotten good reponses and they have been very helpful over the phone as well.





Bottom line:





Sounds like you do have a healthy plant. Once the new leaves are developed you should see new a new flower spike (maybe 2) grow out of the base of the plantaffiliate

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