Spike

Methinks you have a spike for 2 reasons.
1. It is growing up, and for the most part, roots tend to grow down
2. Roots are smooth and narrow down to a point at the tip. The nub in question has the characteristic "mitten look" thats leads me to believe it is the start of a spike.
Congrats.

I agree, spike. Also, It's growing out of the "spike place"-- the "v" place where leaf attaches to stem.

Congratulations! You done good!

Hooray!!
Now another question-- it's growing up towards a leaf. Will it direct itself away from it, or sort of push the leaf out of its way? Hmm. How long does it take them to be fully grown, on average?

The spikes do their own thing. Not to worry. When it gets tall enough, you may want to stake it, but that's a long way off.

bg...glad you've got a spike!
I thought I had one comin' out on one of my Phals, but it turned out to be a root instead.
Oh well........

{{gwi:197987}}

As for how long, that depends on your conditions. In warm temps, the growth is steady, figure a couple months. If if it cold or there are cool spells in between the warm, the growth will slow down and even stop for periods of time. The warmer you keep it, the faster it will bloom.

I think arthur quotes phals as 110 days

Clara

Depends on the temperature. Mine spike in Nov or Dec, bloom usually around the end of April or the beginning of May, far longer than 110 days. The reason is the GH is kept at a 60F low during winter nights and the spikes don't speed up until it gets warmer in the spring.

Lellie, sorry you were disappointed... But roots are good too! Hopefully you'll get a spike soon :) Honestly I would have been happy even if this had turned out to be a root-- I just like to watch things grow because I'm a dork like that, hehe

Thanks, everyone! I'd been debating on whether or not to cut the current spike at the base when the blooms are done or just to cut it to a node and hope for more, but I guess now I'll cut it all the way down so the plant can put more energy towards forming the new spike. I'm so excited to watch it grow! Not hard to tell this is the first spike I've seen right from the beginning, hehe

As I recall Blossom Girl grows indoors as many of us do. Was quoting Arthur on an indoor estimate. I don't really pay that close attention to "when". Was speaking generally. You'll have winter blooms Blossom Girl. Please remember we can't manipulate or stabilise our home enviroments to the degree you can in a G/H or have your zone climate, CJ. At 5 months we would consider that a stall issue indoors with a standard phal.

Clara

I really don't understand what you are saying, Clara. Are you saying I can control the heat in my GH in the winter better than you can control temperatures indoors in the winter up north? That's definitely not true. My house furnace and thermostat is far better at maintaining accurate temperature indoors than the heaters in the greenhouse. Unless you have an extremely old heating system, I guarantee you that a home furnace is far more efficient and accurate. As for my climate zone, in the winter we generally have lots of nights in the 10Fs and 20Fs so I don't see how that has any bearing on the issue at all. Maybe you thought I lived in South Florida in balmy Zone 10 rather than in North Florida in Zone 8 where subfreezing weather is common in the winter.

What I was pointing out is that if you keep your house at 60F at night, you are going to wait the same amount of time that I do in my 60F greenhouse. We are talking straight temperature; location or zone has no bearing whatsoever. What difference would it make to a Phal spike if both the house and the greenhouse are 60F?

As I said, perhaps I didn't understand what you were alluding to.