Orchid Spike Growing From the Center? Terminal Spikes Explained

Is your orchid's flower spike growing out of the center of the plant instead of from the side? That's called a terminal spike (or apical spike), and once it happens the Phalaenopsis can't grow new leaves from the top again. In this video I show what a terminal spike on a Phalaenopsis (moth orchid) looks like, how it's different from a normal flower spike that grows beside a leaf, what the plant does next (a keiki backup plan), the leading theory for why it happens, and a pattern I keep seeing in our greenhouse: colored Phals do it far more than white ones. The leading explanation is an excess of BAP (6-benzylaminopurine), a synthetic cytokinin used in the tissue-culture labs that mass-produce Phalaenopsis. It's widely suspected, but not proven for every plant. Are you seeing terminal spikes in your collection? Colored or white? Warm or cool growing? Tell me in the comments. 0:00 Orchid spike growing from the center 0:08 What is a terminal (apical) spike? 0:36 Why it stops new leaf growth 0:59 The keiki backup plan 1:37 What causes terminal spikes? (meristem cloning & BAP) 2:38 Colored vs. white Phalaenopsis 3:41 Your turn #phalaenopsis #orchid #TheFlasker