Video update on Vanda pumila spike.

I wanted to try to do the spike progress post as video instead of picture:

Vanda pumila

Vanda pumila in August 2011 when I just got it:


Vanda pumila now:


Roots totally covered and consumed little log that it was mounted on so I had to put it somewhere to keep roots from going everywhere.
But this post is not about growth, it is about spike (marked with red arrow):



And it's not like it is first spike I ever discovered here. There was already one few months ago, but it is still at the same stage as I found it. I hope this one maybe go somewhere.

Here are two spikes visible, maybe first one was just waiting for second one to bloom together?

Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi 'red' x Tsay's Evergreen

This phal has several spikes and usually blooms every year. There are few more buds to open soon.



The latest spike came out sort of in the middle of the plant and I thought it was a terminal spike. Now looking at it closer, I think maybe it is not terminal after all:



We'll see if the new leaf will be able to come out there ...

Phal. gigantea x LD's Bear King

Phal. gigantea x LD's Bear King is a young plant that I got from Kingfishers last summer. Here is what I found on it:



Plant is quite small, much smaller than Phal. gigantea x LD's Bear Queen, so I thought it will take much longer for it to be ready to bloom.

Phal. Tzu Chiang Crisna

I didn't post anything about Tzu Chiang Crisna for over a year. Well, it was just sitting there doing nothing and it was surprising because most of the other phals started spikng as soon as they got into tanks, some of them bloomed twice already, but not this one. Until today...

I took it out for watering and here is what I discovered:



Plant itself looks nice and healthy. It grew large leaves and has plenty of roots.



So, in a couple of months there should be flower...

Phalaenopsis amboinensis

Here is yet one more new purchse that I made at the Montreal orchid show in October - Phalaenopsis amboinensis:



I got it from Crystal Star Orchids, so far it has been the best source for mature phalaenopsis. They always have nicely established plants with good root system. I already have one ambo "common', but it had almost deadly roots problem at the beginning, then it took a year to grow some new roots, then it started what I thought was a spike but came out as a keiki and now it just sits there doing nothing, so I am not expecting any blooms from that one for a while.

The new ambo has three spikes, one is visible on the picture above and has buds already, the other two are small under the leaves and not active at the moment.
Plant has mechanical damage on the leaf but that doesn't bother me much, it is healthy otherwise.

So, waiting for those buds to open...

Phal. cornu-cervi 'Burma'

I didn't post anything about this plant since the very first introduction in June 2012. Mainly because there was nothing to post comparing to all the other plants that had something going on.
Initially cornu-cervi 'Burma' arrived mounted on the metall mesh with a small handful of sphagnum moss. I remember trying to grow it that way, but I didn't have my tanks back then yet, so it was extremely dry most of the time and at some point I took it from the mount and potted.
It did grow couple new leaves and many roots but the reason it deserved a post today - two spike starts that I discovered on the plant:



It is an exciting event because I might actually find out what the word "burma" in the tag means, I mean how is it different from all the other "non-burma" cornu-cervis.
So, fingers crossed, hope at least one of those spikes will eventually bloom.

Phal. Coral Isles x corningiana

Discovered one more new spike, really excited about this one.
Phal. Coral Isles x corningiana already had a spike, but instead of blooming it produced a keiki. Keiki is growing well and putting third leaf now. I decided to leave it on mother plant and when repotting plant I burried keikis roots into media too:



I thought that since plant spends an energy on growing this keiki I will never see blooms. Well, yesterday when watering I found a spike:



I am pretty sure that on the opposite side under the keikis leaf there is another spike start, but I could not get a picture of that one, so we will see it when it comes out from under the leaf.

I really like the wild shape of corningiana flowers and hope this cross will pick up something from it.

About deliciosa spike

Adorable deliciosa plant in need of repotting was growing a spike.
Then I noticed that spike grows right down into moss - dirty green moss that had to be replaced long time ago:



So, I decided to repot and try to change direction of the spike. Unpotted, the roots look fine - all fim, some growing points:



It appeared that no matter how I turn the plant in the pot - the spike never looks up. I tried this and that and finally settled for the following:



I placed small piece of packing peanut under the spike and put the plant into tank making sure that light shines in the opposite direction:



At this point I think I did everything I could to help plant realize that spike shouldn't grow into moss. Hope it gets a hint. Also hope that repotting will not abort the spike...

Phalaenopsis deliciosa

This plant was always standing in a corner of the orchid tank, not getting much of attention. I don't think I ever repotted it since purchasing over a year ago.

It grew a new leaf and started to look pretty decent, altough needing some fresh moss in the pot of course:



Well, last watering I noticed this:



No, not the root, a little spike just above it. It is so small and hiding under the leaf - hard to make a good picture.
Label on this plant was Phal. deliciosa var. yellow, so I am thinking it would be hookeriana. Hopefully spike will develop the blooms to confirm it.

Phalaenopsis Equalacea

One more new spike came out in my tank.
Phalaenopsis Equalacea:



I am worried about this plant because of the black rot traces at the base. I put some peroxide there regularly and it seems to hold it without spreading, but sure it doesn't look great.
Now waiting for blooms....

Phal. Lyndon Red Sun spike.

Three weeks ago I was wondering why Phal. Lyndon Red Sun doesn't bloom when all the other plants do.
Well, I think it took a hint and here is a spike:



Very curious how the flower will look like...

Neofinetia falcata 'Shojo' - it is a spike

Now I am certain that spike is growing on Neofinetia falcata 'Shojo':




Those small buds already have microscopic spurs, so cute!

It is an important milestone, because now I can buy more neofinetias. They will fit perfectly on the top shelf of the larger tank.

Phal. gigantea x LD's Bear Queen

Finally I got the spike on Phal. gigantea x LD's Bear Queen:



I saw quite a few pictures of this cross blooms on the BLO forum and couldn't wait for mine to bloom. Now there is a hope I will have flowers soon.

My plant has huge beautiful leaves:



I wonder what the flowers will look like...

Ooops, there is no existing label for this plant, which means I never logged it in here since I got it in March, just like many others, so this is a late introduction too. My current orchids list is so outdated.

Phalaenopsis Princess Kaiulani

My first Princess Kaiulani, the one from Crystal Star, started a new spike:



Just recently it surprised me with un-proportionally small new leaf:



I still don't know why exactly it was so small. Plant has lots of roots, I water it regularly. I decided that maybe it was stressed by too much light when I placed it into orchid tank and moved it a bit farther from the lamp. Hope the spike will develop nicely...

Phal Crimson Cherub 'Chiayi'

I had this plant for almost a year and it didn't do much during all this time.
Didn't even grow any new leaves.



So, when I saw this spike start - it was a big surprise.



Hopefully it won't stall.

Phal. violacea 'Japan'

Here is the second violacea that I got from Orchis Floriculturing. It is spiking now too:



Both purchases from this vendor turned out to be pretty good, I think I will be buying more from them.

V. Roberts Delight 'Garnet Beauty'

One more Vanda spiked in my orchid tank number two, Vanda Roberts Delight 'Garnet Beauty':



Last time it bloomed in summer 2011 while growing in glass vase. After that flowering I decided to pot it into bark with packing peanuts at the bottom and that was a big mistake. All roots rotted down to two small leftovers. I was sure that plant will be lost but gave it a chance - kept it in the clay pot with a handful of chc watering quite frequently.

It took two years to grow new roots strong enough for it to spike again.

Vandachostylis Sri-Siam spike

Here is something I am very proud of - a spike on V. Sri-Siam:



It is a first vandaceous that spiked in the orchid tank, which means it gets sufficient light, so maybe other vandas will do the same.

I know, plant looks a bit rough but it is just purple patches from too much light. Hopefully spike won't stall.

Haraella retrocalla

This is just an update on my mounted plant of Haraella retrocalla. It grew significantly since I mounted it and even has a basal keiki now:



There are two new spikes but no flowers yet. It seems like buds do not develop fully and open up as green little things. I have no idea why it is happening and am getting really disappointed with this plant.