Question
When the last blooms died on my phal orchid I left the flower spike as it was still green. To my great surprise, a set of 2 leaves have sprouted on the stem about 2/3 of the way up! What should I do? Can this be cut off and potted to start a new plant, or will new flowers come out right there.

Answer
Gretchen, a new plant is forming at a node of the old flower spike and is a common occurrence in phalaenopsis.  If left on the mother plant, I have seen such keikis not only develop roots and leaves while still attached to its mother, but also to eventually develop its own flower spike while still attached.  When the leaves on this new plant get to be 3 inches long and there is active root growth (ie green tips on the roots) you may cut it from the flower spike and pot it up as a separate clone of the mother.  Be careful that you don't damage the roots of the new plant either during removal or during potting as this may temporaarily disrupt the growth until new roots develop.