My Orchid has 3 Keikis!!

CatsyCline · ‎07-24-2013

Help! I didn't know what they are so checked YouTube. My poor neglected Phalaenopsis Orchid has 3 different Keikis (babies) growing off the two main flower spikes. I went to clean out the base plant root system yesterday, to repot and there were no more viable roots, just a node at the base of the main leaves which are very floppy and leathery. i cut the dead material and am giving him a tea bath for a few days.

I think the Keiki's are drawing nutrients from the base. Every tutorial shows the Keiki growing off a green root at the base, but these are 10" to 12" high off a healthy (non-flowering) flower spike. None have a gray green root though.

Can i cut the spike with the Keike and plant in a new pot? How much of the stem should I cut to hold the Keiki?

not my orchid but gives an idea:

mousiegirl · ‎03-09-2010

@CatsyCline wrote:

Help! I didn't know what they are so checked YouTube. My poor neglected Phalaenopsis Orchid has 3 different Keikis (babies) growing off the two main flower spikes. I went to clean out the base plant root system yesterday, to repot and there were no more viable roots, just a node at the base of the main leaves which are very floppy and leathery. i cut the dead material and am giving him a tea bath for a few days.

I think the Keiki's are drawing nutrients from the base. Every tutorial shows the Keiki growing off a green root at the base, but these are 10" to 12" high off a healthy (non-flowering) flower spike. None have a gray green root though.

Can i cut the spike with the Keike and plant in a new pot? How much of the stem should I cut to hold the Keiki?

not my orchid but gives an idea:

@CatsyCline https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/orchids/orchid-keiki-care.htm

Flatbush · ‎07-18-2015

@ miimosa If you google orchid keikis you will find a lot of info. I even saw 2 youtube videos about planting them. One video showed how to propagate the existing orchid so you can make other plants exactly like the mother plant. Very interesting.Hope this is helpful. I had orchids, but could not sustain the high humidity they require. If I had seen this video, I think I would have had better results...oh well.

CatsyCline · ‎07-24-2013

@Flatbush i have been all over Youtube. There seem to be no videos that show baby orchids without out new root growth growing out from the Flower stalk.

My babies have the crown and base of the orchid plant but have no new root growth. I am going to repot the main plant, give it some food and get it stabilized and then cut the Keikes off the stalk and pot them and hope they grow roots.

This orchid has survived 3 winters in dry heat with low humidity! In our wet, humid summers he camps out on a screen porch. new flowers grew last summer.

mousiegirl · ‎03-09-2010

@CatsyCline wrote:
@Flatbush i have been all over Youtube. There seem to be no videos that show baby orchids without out new root growth growing out from the Flower stalk.

My babies have the crown and base of the orchid plant but have no new root growth. I am going to repot the main plant, give it some food and get it stabilized and then cut the Keikes off the stalk and pot them and hope they grow roots.

This orchid has survived 3 winters in dry heat with low humidity! In our wet, humid summers he camps out on a screen porch. new flowers grew last summer.

@CatsyCline There are many links on this subject, here is one.

Keiki “Baby Orchid” – My First Orchid - "And there is no new root to be seen on the keikis. ..... take a LONG time to produce roots that are long enough to make then viable for repotting."

https://myfirstorchid.com/2016/08/11/basal-keikibaby-orchid/