Evidence for foliar watering/feeding

[Izzie]

Take it from an expert worrier- take a deep breath and calm down. Everything's going to be fine! We're here to help you.

[Tropicgirl]

Basal keiki is a baby plant growing from around the base of the mother plant. Otherwise the keiki (baby plant) would be growing from one of the nodes on the flower spike. You can cut it off either way, if that's what you want to do. Use sterile tools and dab just a little cinnamon on the wound.

[Tropicgirl]

Izzie, you beat me to the punch!

Annie, if you want to keep the baby then I would leave it on the mother. I was getting the impression you just wanted it off the mother plant and didn't plan on keeping it. Does it have any roots yet?

[annie1931]

I don't want the baby, and want it off the main plant so it doesn't suck out the nutrients. I don't know if it's got roots, haven't looked underneath! Just want to know if it's ok to slice it off with a paring knife.

[Izzie]

It probably isn't doing as much harm as you think, if at all.

[annie1931]

That's good to know - however I would still like to know if it is safe to slice it off. I have no desire to start growing another orchid - I'd have to move out - and it would take years for it to ever get to the blooming stage. Its leaves are already large and taking up room I'd rather it didn't.

[johnblagg]

If your gettin new leaves in the crown and a basal keiki good job....

If it has been in the orchid chips that many years without repotting it could possibly need repotting....BUT if they are still nice and firm and not mushy or soft then you are in good shape.

It is when they break down so far they hold too much water you are going to get root rot.

What shape are they in If I might ask? And also if they have alredy broke down over the years to the point they have gotten flushed out and it is basicly just sitting in a empty pot then you have no problem at all either,this condition would mimic It growing mounted in fact and if thats the case your doing a great job and I would simply make sure it got fertilized well when you water and I would mist the exposed roots with the same mix.

From what I have read it is not good to try removing a basal keiki ...but I dont have any real experiance on that one.

If you can carefully probe in the pot to see what shpe the chips are in ...It could even be that the roots in the medium where you can not see have long ago died and the only roots are the ones you see ...this is not actually bad in this case it would seem to me and it has simply done what orchids do and relocated itself to a better position under excellent care.

[annie1931]

The chips are still quite crispy as far as I can tell - I poke my finger down a hole or into one of the holes in the pot - the leaf seems to grow daily, and yes, I looked up what a basal keiki is and that's what is going on. I'll just leave it - if the pot's too small for the family, that's just too bad - in my place plants pretty well have to go along with my way. So far, this one is happy. The other two aren't and it's my bad some way - I'll figure it out. Thanks for all your info and advice - I appreciate it.

[johnblagg]

The pot is not to small....They dont need a huge pot and great news the chips are crispy your in excellent shape.

the issue of her not making a spike this tim eis almost certinly because she is pregnant LOL....

you will be getting more spikes in teh future from both crowns.And basal keikies will not hurt her at all

[annie1931]

LOL - I'll let you know when a new spike arises! And I'll leave baby alone.