Finally got to bloom it again, this time with a vengeance. There are over 40 buds and more coming from the keikis. Just excited to post this first flower as my other species just could not support their buds to open having too many.
Phal philippinensis
- Thread starter gego
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Great! Keep us posted!
Incredible! Please post when fully open.
Lovely and I'm looking forward to all those flowers! I grow mine mounted...new roots,
new leaves, no blooms this year.
new leaves, no blooms this year.
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Fantastic! Excited to see all open. How long does bloom stay?
Usually stays well for 10-12 days in the heat of the summer, which is its blooming season.
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Amazing. Still more to go?
Yeah. One spike has 6 branches with flowers and buds for now. There are three main spikes. One of each plant. The big one is the mother plant, the two are her keikies. Each of them has added another spike. Actually one plant has three spikes so seven spikes in that group. It would be so nice to see if they are all dangling down, the way they do in their habitat. I can't do that in my space.
What a happy family in one pot. Well grown!
My apologies. I misread this as a post on my gaskelliana. The phillipinense blooms stay for 1-2 months.
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No problem. That makes it even more amazing.
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Sorry for the question, what/where exactly is their habitat?
@gego - I wonder if your culture “boosted” the reserves within the plant, allowing it to put on such a wonderful show?
Generally speaking, plants expend their chemical reserves in three ways, in this order of priority: maintenance (staying alive), carbon fixation (growth), and reproduction (blooming).
It won’t do the next one until the it has sufficient reserves for the prior one(s), and is “comfortable” that it is steadily getting the right overall culture.
In the case of many plants, having sufficient reserves isn’t enough for it to express it’s sexuality, and it needs a “trigger” to tell it to “go ahead” and expend those reserves. For some plants, it’s day length, for others a period of restricted nutrition, and for many phals, a period of temperature reduction.
If the plant is being grown well, but that “trigger” doesn’t occur, the reserves continue to be built up.
(A combination of anecdotal evidence and speculation going forward.)
In some plants, that “excess” can get diverted to additional branching and growth. In others (thinking many dendrobiums, here) it is in keiki formation. In phals, it might be keikies or simply continued growth, then the emergence of multiple spikes when that trigger is applied.
I recall and experiment an American expat living in Central America tried with phalaenopsis:
He kept his mature phals at elevated temperature for several years, which allowed them to grow and grow, adding many pairs of leaves (and reserve storage) without ever blooming. Then he applied a couple of weeks of temperature reduction, and several weeks later more than a dozen inflorescence emerged from each plant.
Generally speaking, plants expend their chemical reserves in three ways, in this order of priority: maintenance (staying alive), carbon fixation (growth), and reproduction (blooming).
It won’t do the next one until the it has sufficient reserves for the prior one(s), and is “comfortable” that it is steadily getting the right overall culture.
In the case of many plants, having sufficient reserves isn’t enough for it to express it’s sexuality, and it needs a “trigger” to tell it to “go ahead” and expend those reserves. For some plants, it’s day length, for others a period of restricted nutrition, and for many phals, a period of temperature reduction.
If the plant is being grown well, but that “trigger” doesn’t occur, the reserves continue to be built up.
(A combination of anecdotal evidence and speculation going forward.)
In some plants, that “excess” can get diverted to additional branching and growth. In others (thinking many dendrobiums, here) it is in keiki formation. In phals, it might be keikies or simply continued growth, then the emergence of multiple spikes when that trigger is applied.
I recall and experiment an American expat living in Central America tried with phalaenopsis:
He kept his mature phals at elevated temperature for several years, which allowed them to grow and grow, adding many pairs of leaves (and reserve storage) without ever blooming. Then he applied a couple of weeks of temperature reduction, and several weeks later more than a dozen inflorescence emerged from each plant.
Ray, it's more of the reserve. These plants were not able to bloom for three years as they were adjusting to the new environment. But they were growing well, leaves extending up to 15 inches. I got keikies instead. Same with my stuartiana var nobilis. But this species normally branches out its spike and spread its flowers. For this species this is just normal if grown well and matured.
Here's my latest photo. I will travel early tomorrow so I won't see this in full bloom. Hopefully my son will check my plants and take a picture.
Here's my latest photo. I will travel early tomorrow so I won't see this in full bloom. Hopefully my son will check my plants and take a picture.
Very, very nice!
Exceptionally beautiful growth. I adore the species Phals. My sanderianas are blooming
now so delicate and beautiful.
now so delicate and beautiful.
Yes. They are. My stuartina flowered earlier with branching spikes but I did not get to see and picture it in full bloom.
The leaves are beautiful too!
Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
Nicely done!
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