Phalaenopsis - just once spike

[Orquiadicto]

Several of my phals are spiking. When I bought them, them had two spikes but now they are only growing one. Any idea why?

[jai_star]

The conditons at the nursery will always be optimal , however you are able to get them to spike which is already a great sign perhaps next season experiment with more fert , light , humidity etc

[zainal abidin]

I agree with jai star give more light will do better.Looking forward your post.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Different culture will produce different results. I wish you good luck!

cheers,
B D

[andreaemilia]

I have got my first pahl 5 years ago
every year it bloomed twice with only one spike
in the fiith yera, and with some more fertilizer it grew to spikes
I think age is important to, older phal are better adapted and bigger

---------- Post added at 10:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:18 PM ----------

I have got my first pahl 5 years ago
every year it bloomed twice with only one spike
in the fiith yera, and with some more fertilizer it grew two spikes
I think age is important to, older phal are better adapted and bigger

[Danny]

It really depends on growing conditions, as stated above. I have some large phals that bloom at least twice a year, with up to three or four spikes, and there are some smaller that grow right next to them that had several spikes when I recieved them, but now only bloom with one or two. Would it be possible that some nurseries give certain hormones or fertilizers to encourage multiple spikes in an orchid that naturally is only strong enough to throw one spike at a time on it's own?

[tucker85]

For what it's worth, I was just reading an article in the journal of the International Phalaenopsis Alliance. It said that commercial growers that give more light (they didn't say how much) and lower daytime temperatures (they didn't say how low) get more flowers and multiple spikes. They also said that higher daytime temperatures produce longer spikes but fewer flowers. Of course commercial growers also know exactly how much water and fertilizer to give.

[mauraec]

For what it's worth, I was just reading an article in the journal of the International Phalaenopsis Alliance. It said that commercial growers that give more light (they didn't say how much) and lower daytime temperatures (they didn't say how low) get more flowers and multiple spikes. They also said that higher daytime temperatures produce longer spikes but fewer flowers. Of course commercial growers also know exactly how much water and fertilizer to give.

Great information, Jeff, and I think it can be generalized to a lot of other orchid genera raised in commercial greenhouses, in the sense that they know and give the optimum conditions for each kind to flower the most possible.

One thing I have heard/read is that phals, commercially-grown phals especially, are kind of "programmed" to bloom themselves to death. In other words, they put all their plant resources into those initial blooms you see, and then have none left to go on through another cycle.

Just another piece of orchid trivia...