Giles Smith asked: "I hope someone can help me understand what is going on with my Phalaenopsis schilleriana. ... It produced a new basal shoot that rapidly produced leaves and roots of its own.... After a while I separated the new growth and potted it up. That plant grew well and is now producing another new basal shoot, but no normal inflorescence. I grow these in sphagnum moss and they seem to be happy, carrying 3 to 4 good leaves on each side. What is going on with the new basal shoots?"
Giles, if a plant only has one stem it is vulnerable to being damaged or eaten. Having multiple stems increases the chance of the plant surviving. So most members of the Aeridiinae (which includes Phalaenopsis) routinely propogate themselves via basal vegetative shoots when they get a chance. Your plant is only doing what comes naturally. Look on it as an opportunity to grow a nice large specimen-size plant. Peter O'Byrne _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
