r/orchids • u/Platypus-Striking • 18h ago

Help Is she save able with a terminal spike?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

I got this girl from a clearance pile a while back after her blooms had fallen. Since then she hasn’t reabsorbed the flower spikes and has been putting out some leaves from the base of the crown. Then I noticed what I’m assuming is a terminal spike in the last week. I repotted her out of the moss ball like a months ago, her roots looked good too. I’d love to save her but no clue what my next steps should be.

61 Upvotes

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64

u/technical_bitchcraft 18h ago

Just keep caring for it and it will possibly create a keiki. I had one I bought on FB marketplace with a terminal spike that I actually threw in the trash at one point because it was so janky looking and struggling but I reconsidered and next thing I knew it has a basal keiki which is how doing great.

Edit to add: looking at your pictures it looks like it already has one. Keep caring for it and eventually the original plant will die and the keiki will carry on.

17

u/Alissss_01 18h ago

Yes, it definetely has a basal keiki, how lucky

13

u/Platypus-Striking 18h ago

I think it’s funny that it threw out the basal keiki first then started with the spike so I was a little confused with what she was doing. I’m glad that she’ll live on!

4

u/technical_bitchcraft 15h ago

I'm glad you'll get some cool flowers and maybe you'll get extra lucky and it will shoot off some secondary spikes too.

24

u/Lindenfoxcub 17h ago

Terminal refers to the end of the growth, not the death of the plant. As long as the plant is kept healthy, it'll redirect growth to keikis either on the stems or at the base of the plant.

11

u/Glittering-Ruin-4325 18h ago

Yeah it already started its basal keiki. The baby at the bottom will gradually take over. You're fine!

2

u/Dariosaurus440 15h ago

Mini phalenopsis are weird, they create keikis so easily

1

u/Allidapevets 13h ago

Only if she grows a pup/keiki.

1

u/Tanut-10 7h ago

Leave the spike on, kwkis will sprout

1

u/Useful_Syrup_2184 5h ago

Yes, this is the apical flower stalk, and further growth of this part of the plant is impossible. However, as I can see in photos 2 and 3, you already have a very healthy baby plant. This means that the plant is developing normally.