Is this a keiki on my Phal?

[sand_tiger86]

That's actually not my Phal, I just googled a picture! haha but I do believe that the spikes on a phal. can produce keikis whenever they feel like it...though, it's more common when flowering is done/near done, much the same as a node will break into another inflorescence when the initial flowering is complete or near its end. You can either get another spike from a node (more common), a keiki (less common), or nothing at all and the spike just dies away (most common...in my experience, anyway). There are things you can do to help promote additional spikes and keikis from nodes, but I usually don't bother.

[OrchidAddict]

That's actually not my Phal, I just googled a picture! haha but I do believe that the spikes on a phal. can produce keikis whenever they feel like it...though, it's more common when flowering is done/near done, much the same as a node will break into another inflorescence when the initial flowering is complete or near its end. You can either get another spike from a node (more common), a keiki (less common), or nothing at all and the spike just dies away (most common...in my experience, anyway). There are things you can do to help promote additional spikes and keikis from nodes, but I usually don't bother.

It's a bummer that you don't have success getting the Phals to spike again. I can get mine to go along for a couple of years with new spikes coming out of the different nodes on the same inflorescence. Often these new spikes will branch on their own and I'll get quite a few new blooms before I need to cut again. I finally had some spikes give out on me after going steady for about three years...and then I just gave the plant a rest for a while and then moved it closer to the light and upped the fertilizer, and it shot out a brand new spike after a couple of months. Now it's branching all over the place with tons of flowers. I would love to know how to coax it to make a keiki though. I read something about using keiki paste on a node to induce it to make a baby...but apparently the node has to be "undifferentiated" for that to work, and I have no idea how one tells if the node has already been designated as a spike node by the plant.

I wish I could send you some of my luck with Phals. They can be tremendously satisfying to grow! Although I have to admit...I'm very envious of your bright light! I got a free Vanda as a gift and I'm struggling to figure out what to do with it here in Pennsylvania! LOL I guess we all have an albatross... ;-)