Question
QUESTION: I'm finally getting successful, after four years, with my orchids.  No rebloomers yet, but they are staying healthy!  One of my moth orchids over the past two days has sprouted a mini orchid (2 in. long) from just under the crown area, under a leaf, and growing sideways.  After looking all over the internet for advice, all I can find are babies that grow off the spikes.  I don't know what to do.  Should I carefully cut if off and will it grow a new plant?  If I leave it there, will it suck the life out of the main plant?  Isn't this a bit odd?  Help!  I can send a picture if you need it.

ANSWER: Christina, it would be interesing to see it.  It will not injure the mother plant and it is likely to just grow larger and add to the strength of your plant as it develops its own roots and, someday, flowers on its own. It is a bit unusual but off-shoots from the meristemmatic tissue at the base of the plant have been observed before.

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baby moth orchid   QUESTION: Here's a picture.  It's a little hard to see because it's so small, but it's on the left side under a couple of leaves.  And it wasn't there a couple of days earlier as I was watering it, wiping the leaves and checking the roots - never saw it.  I hope I described it correctly.

Answer
Thank you Christina.  While, as you pointed out, it is a bit difficult to see, it appears that it may be growing from an old flower spike that was cut way back.  The location is about right for that and I think I see a bit of the old flower spike from which it emerged.  It will be fun to let this grow.  One of those unexpected gifts.  Keep me posted on its progress.  The plant looks relly healthy so congratulations on a good growing job.