Too early to tell. May be the one on the right!

Tanie

i think those are just roots.

Early to tell. They look like roots in the photo. But roots coming out of those places in my experience at this time if year often mean a spike is coming down the pike.

Interesting. There are several reasons I think these may be spikes, although I should say 14 months is ALL of my Phal growing experience, and I've never observed spiking before, so I may very well be wrong.

On my Phals (I grow two identical twins of this Phal), roots have always come out lower before, lower than the lowest leaf. But generally Phals can grow roots higher, of course, and this may just be a sign that my Phals are still recovering from that rootless state I got them in, and that now is the time to grow aerial roots, they decided.

Another new thing is that both the mericloned twins are initiating these things at exactly the same time. I have not seen them grow roots in such unison before, but of course it may be a coincidence. They do grow in the same environment, so why not do things together?

Speaking of timing, fall is the time for them to set spikes, and that is another factor here.

Finally, that bump on the right looks a bit like a mitten, and that's what distinguishes a spike from a root.

None of these are convincing alone (well, maybe the last one, to some degree), but all together they look like "preponderance of evidence" to me, a partial observer highly interested in these being spikes - which is to say, I may see things that are not there. :-)

But anyway, they grow fast, these things - they grew a bit visibly in just 36 hours, so I would not have to wait long for the answer.

They look like spikes to me. but only time will tell.

Yaaayyy!

Congratulations!

Tanie

Wow! I would've said roots too. Now I know what to look for...I have three that I am hoping will spike this fall.

I am thrilled that both my twin Phals set two spikes each, but it's also a little frightening knowing they were almost rootless 14 months ago. (I would not ask you to read this but you can look at the initial and progress pics here:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/orchids/msg080116331106.html.)

I do not believe in 'flowering oneself to death', but have these Phals bitten on more than they can chew with TWO spikes each? I guess the number of flowers will be not great, and so that is how they'll preserve some strength for growing and not just for flowering?

I am wondering why they decided to have two spikes right from the start instead of a more modest one.

And a related question: how many spikes max can a very well-grown Phal have at the same time?

Here is a link that might be useful: For some reason it did not linkify above

This post was edited by greentoe357 on Sun, Oct 26, 14 at 11:50

I have seen a phal in HD last couple of weeks ago with 3 flowers spikes. I was just about to get it but I bought the one with 2 instead.

Tanie.

The more spikes the better, IMO. The worry may be if the spikes/flowers last greater than 6 months and new spikes start to form.

Good growing,

Bob