Phal bloom stalk, and?

[mtequine]

I've had great luck buying 'non-blooming' phal's from my local garden shop for GREAT prices. Usually within a few weeks of repotting they are sending up a bloom stalk.

Such is the case with this one--tag says "Dtps. Newberry Parfait 'Picotee". I've never had one send up a normal bloom stalk and...whatever this thing is? Can someone fill me in?

Thanks!
mtequine

[Gin]

Uh OOO .. Growing out of the crown between the top leaves I have heard it is the kiss of death the growing point is disrupted , don't know about that for sure . What ever it is looks like the start of a keiki considering the leaf growing on it . Gin

[Diane]

I agree with Gin, looks like the start of the end of the plant. But it takes a while for them to die, and by then usually you have a keiki to take it's place. It just has to run it's course. Don't cut off the stalk, as it probably won't try to keiki again. I have that same phal, it is a lovely bloom, pretty vigorous grower.

[bench72]

was just wondering... is it possible for the plant to keiki from the base when the top growing part is disturbed like this?

[orchid-man]

Yes it is possible for a kekei to come away anywhere that there is an eye.

[mtequine]

Well, drat. That's not what I wanted to hear!

What causes this disruption to happen on a phal? Is it something I caused by repotting? Should I have been able to tell this was going to happen when I bought the plant, even though neither of the stalks had started at that point?

I've never seen/dealt with a Keiki on a phal before. Will it become fairly obvious like on a dendrobium what I will be able to start the new plant from?

Thanks!
mtequine

[Diane]

I don't know what causes it, I have had plants (Phals) do it at all different times of their lives. The only way I know to trigger a keiki by human intervention is to apply keiki paste to a node on a bloom stalk - and that is not successful many times.

So - relax, enjoy the plant with it's keiki and keep us posted on how things change. Like I said earlier, I have the same plant and it is very vigorous, so you should end up with a nice healthy keiki.