Cutting my Keiki loose

[mjgord51]

My keiki's mommy is a Phal and I started to see the stem it was growing from looked like it was dying, sure enough two days later I knew I had to cut it loose.

Now to my question since its roots were 6" and 8" long I heard you can put it in water to soften the roots and curl them around each other to fit better in a starter pot.

How long can it sit in water before I need to pot it and does it sitting in water for long periods of time do harm ?
Thanks, MJ

[estación seca]

First, tolerance - 12 hours in water won't hurt them. People rehydrate wrinkled, underwatered Phals by soaking them for 1-12 hours.

Next, softening - an hour or two should do it.

Hold the plant over a pot on the table. Dangle the roots into the pot. Use your other hand to stabilize the roots in the pot, and gently twist the plant in one direction with your other as you lower it. You are trying to coil the roots in one direction into the pot. Then backfill with medium.

It's OK if the outer root velamen cracks. Roots can still function like this. The plant will soon make more roots.

[mjgord51]

Last night around 6pm I put the keiki in a tall glass of water getting at least 90% of the roots down in water and today @ 4pm the roots are still as hard as when being put in water last night (just tap water not cold & not warm). Somewhere I heard/read the roots soften ( not these) still hard pretty much.

[Roberta]

If they don't soften, don't worry about it... just wind them down into the new pot, if some velamin cracks, won't harm it.