Need To Grow A Spike

by Armineh

Can you do anything to initiate a spike? I have healthy beautiful growing plants with only large green leaves and no spike. I cut off the spikes when the lst blooms dropped and the spike was brown and dead. Now the plants are thriving with no spike and no blooms. Help please.

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Sep 18, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Help To Initiate A New Spike
by: Melissa

Thanks, Armineh for your question.

Yes, you can help it along some. You do not say what kind of orchid it is and yes, the kind of orchid (and there are close to 30,000 kinds!) does matter as to how to grow and rebloom it.

All things being equal, sometimes an orchid will need a slight adjustment in light and that helps.

I am thinking that you might have a Phalaenopsis orchid and if that is the case please go read the other thread on Phals. (http://www.orhcids-plus-more.com/phalaenopsis-orchid-care.html) and read some of the questions there. We have discussed this very topic some there.

You did the right thing to cut off the dead and brown spent flower spike. Sometimes with Phals. if the flower spike is still green and viable then you can cut it just above a node. Often it will push a new spike from that node a month or two earlier than if it completely initiates a new spike.

It is great that your plants are thriving, this is a very good sign.

Again if it is a Phal. you might try putting it where the nighttime temperatures get at least 15 degrees lower than the daytime temperatures for a least 3 weeks. Now would be the time to do this (fall). But please let me caution you that if you do this you need not to let the orchids stay out in weather that goes much below 50 F. (10 C.) for very long. Down to 45 F. (7 C.) is ok but if the temperatures would go lower you need to make sure not to have your orchids out in that temperature.

So to summerize: Consider checking for the right light for your kind of orchid. And conisder giving it a little cold treatment for a few weeks and see if that helps.

Be patient. Many orchids only flower once a year.

Good luck.

Let me know how it goes.

Melissa
www.orchids-plus-more.com

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