Double spike on orchid plant

[Anteater]

I can't believe this sickly looking plant is double spiking, and I just had to share it. I'm ashamed of how bad I've allowed this particular orchid's condition to become. It used to be one of my most vigorous plants. I've divided it several times, and it seems that there always used to be a division that was blooming. However, as I accumulated more orchids, it and all its siblings suffered. In fact, a lot of my original oncidium types suffered. I guess I just started taking it for granted and gradually began neglecting them. Maybe it was just because it was always blooming, and was kind of a generic yellow and reddish-brown oncidium type. They started getting shoved into lower light areas to make room for other orchids, and then I topped that off with waiting too long to repot them which resulted in many cases of rotted roots.

Anyway, I fully intend to make this a turning point for this particular one and its siblings, especially since it really isn't that demanding of an orchid. That's probably obvious though since pretty much everything is wrong with this plant, but it is still sending out two spikes. Right now I don't have any of them that are in real good shape.

I remember dividing it one time, and I ended up with four separate clusters, plus one big fat single leafless bulb leftover. Just for the heck of it, I stuck the single bulb in a separate pot, and it started sending out plants. That tells you how easy this one was to raise if you pay a little attention to it...

You always hear people saying how exotic and difficult orchids are to grow. While I agree that it is difficult to get them absolutely perfect, and there are certainly types I don't stand a chance of growing, I think that orchids as a whole are able to put up with incredible amounts of neglect and abuse compared to any other type of plant I've grown. How many other plants can have the roots rot off of it, and then come back to be a healthy plant?

[panam]

Taylor, you're obviously doing something right, so don't beat yourself up! Can't wait to see the little beauties when they're opened up.

[Anteater]

Taylor, you're obviously doing something right, so don't beat yourself up! Can't wait to see the little beauties when they're opened up.

Thanks for the encouragement, but I beat myself up about everything like this. This plant is a shadow of what I used to have, so it is somewhat depressing. I'm happy I didn't completely kill them off though.

It is weird how you can look at the same orchids every day and not see glaring issues with them sometimes. They decline gradually and certainly give obvious signs like decreased flower count, smaller flowers, and then things like less leaves, shorter leaves, slender leaves, root formation, new plant formation/count, etc., but I think since you look at them every day you just get accustomed to their declining state. I don't know. Kind of like the frog in boiling water story.

[maggs]

Hi Taylor why not do like I do and just mount it on a piece of driftwood or tree branch they seem to love that cause it is as close to the natural growing conditions as possible, I will post some pics of what I have done with mine and how the roots have taken off on the tree branches, maybe tomorrow

[Anteater]

Hi Taylor why not do like I do and just mount it on a piece of driftwood or tree branch they seem to love that cause it is as close to the natural growing conditions as possible, I will post some pics of what I have done with mine and how the roots have taken off on the tree branches, maybe tomorrow

My environment is probably a bit different than yours. It's 103 degrees outside right now with 9% humidity. I don't even want to go outside right now, let alone put an orchid out there. LOL

[Carolla]

I understand THAT! Sounds exactly like my weather today too, only it seems humid for a change - eeeew! I have some in worse shape than yours, though I hope to bring them back. Sometimes other things take our time and our orchids suffer. I'm always amazed at how well mine do when I neglect them a bit - better than when I try too hard to take care of them! I think your p-bulbs look pretty plump in comparison to one I have that is almost shriveled away. Good luck with it!

[jai_star]

Plants flower as a survival mechanism the more stress they are most likely to bloom I saw the ugliest hibiscus plant with diseased wood and starving hungry on it had the most gorgeous flowers get the idea?

[Cjcorner]

I love how hardy orchids can be as well. My come back babies are my dendrobiums. You can do almost anything to them and they will still bloom and grow. Can't wait to see your blooms...

[Anteater]

I love how hardy orchids can be as well. My come back babies are my dendrobiums. You can do almost anything to them and they will still bloom and grow. Can't wait to see your blooms...

Yep. I agree on the Dendrobiums.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Congratulations! You must be keeping it happy, Taylor!

cheers,
BD