Orchid Flower Spike Growth

Sometimes flower spikes on orchids stop growing without a reason especially with phalaenopsis orchids.

Orchid flower spike growth. In this case the orchid needs to be repotted soon to push some of these roots down in the soil. This orchid has a bunch of ariel roots they are growing all around this pot. Aerial roots that hang from the orchid s spike or curl up and over the edges of its pot are common in phalaenopsis orchids. But which is a flower spike and which is a root.

This seems to be triggered by environment changes. As they have turned brown no new flowers will grow on those spikes. The terminal spike appears a classic sign your orchid won t live much longer. Your orchid is growing and developing normally.

Orchid spikes develop quite slowly typically over the space of 2 3 months. Follow this link on reblooming orchids. Normally on most moth orchids it will probably be light green in color but in this particular plant it s reddish. The fact that new leaves are growing is a very good indication that all is well.

Spikes usually emerge from between the plant s leaves not from the plant s center. There can be many reasons like insufficient light not proven weak flower spikes genetic mutations and anomalies. How long does it take for an orchid spike to grow. Eventually a new flower spike will grow.

Terminal flower spikes are flower stems that appear in the middle or center of the crown of your phalaenopsis orchid hindering any more future growth be it a leaf a spike or further stem growth. As roots grow they are covered with a protective substance that gives them a whitish or silvery appearance. Since it is phalaenopsis orchids season it s time to see some new flower spikes growing. You can see a big more established spike shoot on the left which is growing behind the stick and is probably in bloom.

While growing spikes remain green along their full length. Because you ll see more roots growing from your orchid than spikes let s begin with root pics. You can see that the root on the left is rounder and it has a uniform tip. With the old spikes i think it s best to cut them back at the base to allow the plants to focus on growth especially for the orchid that is already growing a new spike.

Flower spikes are usually greener than roots and have a flatter mitten shaped tip. Generally if you want to try and encourage an orchid to rebloom from a spike you should cut the spike just below the last node where the blooms sprouted from. Doing this sometimes makes the orchid product a side shoot from the top of the spike but it always takes away energy from the rest of the plant s growth. The short reddish growth on the left of the base of the plant is a root and the growth on the right is a flower spike.

Increased light increases the capacity for the plant to photosynthesize and generate energy which can be used to grow the new flower spike.