can orchids multi-task?

[Cinderella]

Can orchids do more than one thing at a time, i.e, grow roots, develop a new growth, put up a sheath/spike all at the same time? Or are there separate and distinct growing periods for all of these different activities?

[uncasteeb]

Yup it seems quite a few do.
Paph chamberlainianum has a new flower & growing a new planlet.
Phrag SA is flowering , growing 3 new leads.
Phal Anthur"Delhi) growing a spike , new roots & a new leaf.
Continious or sequential flowerers normally will be growing new leads as the
mature 1 flowers.
Phsychopsis papilio flowers for years so it must do all the activities @ the same time as flowering.

[Forrest]

I have one that can walk and chew gum at the same time!

[TADD]

Mine can't single task let alone multi

[Jmoney]

From what I've seen, most paphs don't really do more than one thing at a time. Even if they're starting a new growth at the same time that you see a spike, usually the energy seems to be focused on one or the other. I can't recall seeing rapid leaf growth coincide with rapid bud development--usually the new growth gets some growing done, the buds develop, and then the plant goes back to developing the new growth. I'm sure there are super-paphs out there (or maybe just outstanding paph growers) who can get them to sing and dance while breaking multiple shoots & flowering.

[LJA]

I have never seen orchids do all three (spike, new growth, new roots) all at the same time. I imagine, though, that a very healthy, old, mature plant can do that. On the other hand, it's very common here for plants to do two of those three things at the same time. New green growth or new spikes very often coincide with the appearance of new roots (I've got a very large angraecum spiking right now whose old roots are branching like crazy in very active growth, and cattleyas grow their new shoots at the same time as they're producing new roots off that growth.) It seems to depend on the type of plant, it's health status, and its maturity level.

[Liz]

I've got several phals that are spiking & growing leaves (& I thought they were growing roots, but I wouldn't want to assume they were "gifted" Louis ) and vandas that are growing roots (I can see them!) and leaves. I thought I was just doing something right for a change.

[LJA]

I have to admit, I haven't paid attention to whether phals will do all 3 at the same time, but they very well might. If it implies anything, it means you have some happy, healthy plants and are doing a good job growing them. Orchids are fairly conservative with their energy expenditures, so if they're feeling free to extend root system, leaf growth, and spikes, they're in pretty darned good shape.

[OrchidTraci]

My catt is a mulyi tasker. It is putting out new roots *and* new growth. I'm sure the other orchid do the same, but they aren't hanging halfway out of thier pots to see it.

[Tanya]

Ditto to Liza, some phals and most vandas (at least those that I know) do all 3 things at the same time. All my vandas (just 3 and all NOID ) and 2 asco. multi task from spring to early autumn. Then they go *dormant* in winter.

Tanya