Keiki Question

[Eloft]

Hi, I'm a new orchid enthusiast. My Phalaenopsis has grown a "baby" and I'm wondering if it is ready to separate or should I let it bloom first. When I do separate it how is that done? Do you use a razor and cut it directly off the spike or do you leave it on the spike and cut it off with part of the spike as a base? Also, I'm afraid I'll break the roots if I try to put it in a pot as they are quite spread out. Thank you for any help on this matter.

[jean2]

Before you cut off a part of your orchid, make sure that it is a keiki and not a shoot. Once you confirmed with the Keiki, remove the keiki only when it has two or three set leaves and has developed several roots upto 2 inch long.

Use a sterile sharp knife to cut the cane two inches below the keiki and apply fungicide at the end of the cane of the mother orchid and keiki.

Plant keiki in a well-draining orchid planting mix, in a separate pot burying its roots into the planting mix. Use wooden craft stick to help the keiki upright. Moisten the planting medium and place the keiki in an area where it will receive less light.

[Eloft]

How do I differentiate between a keiki and a shoot? In my photo what I think is a keiki has developed on a spike. It does have roots & leaves and is almost blooming off it's own flower spike. I just don't want to make a mistake and harm it.

[raybark]

It's a keiki - it has leaves and its own roots - AND a flower spike! I'd leave it alone until it stops blooming, as detatching it might cause premature loss of the blossoms.

I usually separate them from the spike by grabbing it at the base and applying a quick, twisting "snap".

Yes, you'll likely damage the roots a little when potting it up, but if you soak the plant in tepid water for about 30 minutes before hand, they'll gain a little flexibility. If you keep it good and warm afterward, it'll likely branch and grown new roots at any small cracks that may occur. Adding a kelp extract like KelpMax to the soak water will enhance that.

For the future, I usually pot up keikies when they have about 4" of total root length. I bend the spike over and pot up the keiki while it's still attached, let it get esablished, and then cut the spike.

[Eloft]

Thank you, I will wait and pot it up after the bloom. Do you usually cut the spike off after the bloom? i wondered if i made a mistake by not doing so. What other types of orchids do you recommend for a beginner? I have an east facing sunroom.

[jean2]

After the fall of the bloom check the spike if it is still green then leave it. The subsequent bloom will probably bud on the existing spike. If the spike turns brown and dies cut it off. Most phal have a single main stalk that has leaves protruding from either side. New leaves form in the middle and the stalk grows out. This is the kind that produces the re-blooming spike.

[Eloft]

Jean2, thank you for the instructions. I will be prepared with this knowledge and hopefully won't make a mistake.