KEIKI DEVELOPMENT ON PSYCHOPSIS - Orchid Board

orchidsamore · #1 09-02-2011, 08:16 AM

KEIKI DEVELOPMENT ON PSYCHOPSIS
Psychopsis are not known for producing keiki on the flower stem but we are starting to see a lot. We believe it is a result of the Companion and Essentials we have been spraying. We have one stem with 2 flowers and 8 keiki. It is unlikely that this small a plant can support all these keiki and flowers. We will see how many develop.

We believe that the keiki are a result of the constant application of Worm Tea, Companion and Essentials. We believe the gibberellic acid in Essentials is the main factor for producing these. We find the same results with Vanda and Phalaenopsis.

The full tutorial is at Butterfly orchids - The Psychopsis family

It appears the forum will not post a photo from inside a web page, soory about that.

keithrs · #2 09-02-2011, 10:18 AM

Interesting....... Are you seeing it as a good thing?

jaxorchidman · #3 09-02-2011, 10:20 AM

Interesting... As long as it doesn't seem to be effecting the plant in a bad way, then I would say it's good to go. Break them off as they mature and pot 'em up.

camille1585 · #4 09-02-2011, 11:42 AM

Wow, that's amazing, it's like every single node woke up.

I never knew that Psychopsis were even capable of growing keikis. What does Companion and Essentials do? I've never heard of it before.

zxyqu · #5 09-02-2011, 12:41 PM

I haven't read the tutorial, but I'm amazed you got ever node to turn on. Did you pull off the sheath at each node (like you would with kieki paste on phals)? Also, this is my opinion, but the plants itself looks quite stressed. Do you think so, and is this a result of starting all these new growths? I ask, as Psy. don't tend to throw more than one or two new PBs per season, and I cant imagine throwing 6 kieki's and 4 buds will be easy. Cool though

orchidsamore · #6 09-02-2011, 01:53 PM

When a plant develops more keiki than it can support it saves the strongest and the rest dry up.

The plant is average looks for older Psychopsis. I mention in the tutorial that the plants often look poor. They seem to survive anything. Split and broken leaves are common.

Most hobbyist rarely get to see older plants. I had one of my best I wanted to try in a basket (don't). It was about a 5 inch pot size and did not like a 6 inch basket. It rotted two new growths and shed the flower tip. Then grew 3 new pbulbs and discarded them before I moved it back to pot. In the three months in the pot it has developed a new flower stem and bud and started and discarded 4 more pbulbs. It will eventually stabilize. That is nine keiki this year. I often get 3-4 on a plant in a season. They will probably improve on that but I seldom get to own one more than a second season.

Companion and Essentials are seaweed based products where the best microbes from the seaweed are grown to very high concnetrations.

Companion is Bracillus bacteria mostly subtilus. It is a root colony forming bacteria that aids it the development of roots especially root branching in the root ball. It is a documented anti-fungal innoculate.

Essentials is a number of things. Mainly I like it for its gibberellic acid. This is a very strong rooting hormone.

Here is a tutorial and test results on their use.

Organic health canre of orchids, Test results of Essentials growth hormones on orchids

This Psychopsis and the one I describe as having problems from being in a basket are only 2 out of hundreds I grown each year. I have had 4 develop keiki and the photo in the tutorial shows another with a 6 inch keiki.