Need help with my Phal

[winterpeg]

Hi

I have two phals that I bought last winter and for the first time have not managed to kill them. They were in bloom when I purchased them and after a couple of months after the flowers died I cut the stalk inbetween two nodes. Recently, they both produced tiny little buds at the next node below, one plant larger thatn the other. Very exciting for me. The larger one now looks like leaves and not flowers as I was expecting. It looks like a baby and the largest leaf is about two inches. It is at the the top of the stalk and the stalk itself is about a foot and a quater long. What do I do, I can't imagine a plant growing at the top of the stalk!

I am still waiting to see what the other plant is doing, as in is it a flower or plant/leaf (sorry I don't know the correct terminilogy)

Very excited and very determined to save these ones.

Meera

[Cjcorner]

They obviuosly love your care. It is always exciting to have keikeis grow on the spike. If you wait until they have healthy roots...at least two or three roots at least a few inches long each; then you can repot them and have new plants. A new plantlet growing on the spike is called a keikei. Good luck....you'll have to share a couple pics as the keikei grows. I think they are the funnest...have a couple i'm nursing along right now myself! lol

[Daethen]

It sounds like you phal is producing a keiki (a baby phal). This is a good thing. Leave it grow until it has its own roots that are an inch or two long then you can cut it off of the spike and plant it on its own. Congrats!! Take good care of the mama plants. You may either get another keiki or more flowers off of the other one.

[winterpeg]

Thanks you, that's very helpful. When I cut the keikeis do cut the stalk or do I cut at the junction between the stalk and the keikei? Appreciate your expertise.

Merea

[Daethen]

I believe you cut the spike about an inch or so from the keiki.

[Cjcorner]

It will become obvious once the little plant grows. You will see a small area where the plant is attached in between the roots and the main body of the plant. You can use a sharp razor, or knife to cut it off when the time comes. I usually try to pop it off without them. I usually end up with one small section I have to cut, sometimes not.

[winterpeg]

Thank you both. I have not seen any roots yet but I must say that the leaves growing fast. I'll wait patiently. Very exciting!

PS: I did not add the advertisement in my original post and I don't know how to remove it

Meera

[winterpeg]

Thank you both. I have not seen any roots yet but I must say that the leaves are growing fast. I'll wait patiently. Very exciting!

PS: I did not add the advertisement in my original post and I don't know how to remove it

Meera