Nobile keikis instead of flowers :( - Orchid Board

irrka · #1 05-20-2008, 06:24 PM

the Oriental Smile i just got made keikis instead of flowers (possibly because my impatient a** shoved it into S/H before waiting to see what it would make... or maybe that was its plan all along), so what do i do now? how big do these guys have to be before i can remove them? Can i plant them back into the same pot with the 'mom'? Is there any chance (and i know that's a long shot) this thing will flower/make something again this year? There's no new cane coming up that i can see, when does that usually pop up? i thought that was before flowering? (i've one that's making keikis and two old shriveled canes) Sorry, it's my first dendro and all the stuff i've been finding is vague-ish. Any help would be ever so greatly appreciated!

Ray · #2 05-20-2008, 07:11 PM

The difference is likely not your doing.

In order to bloom in Spring, they need a winter rest. Whether that is no water at all, or water but with no fertilizer at all seems to make little- or no difference (in s/h, at least).

Whoever you got it from didn't do that.

John · #3 05-21-2008, 02:34 PM

Hi Irrka, I agree with Ray that you didn't do anything wrong. Let the keiki get roots about 2" long before taking them off. I would put them into a new pot by themselves. I have had keikis bloom before I got them removed because sometimes I get busy and forget about them. The nobiles I have generally bloom on leafless canes from the previous year. New canes should be starting anytime now. I have heard that on Phals at least, too much nitrogen will encourage the formation of keikis.

John

irrka · #4 05-21-2008, 03:01 PM

thanks! i just thought that if i put the keikis in the same pot i'd get a whole BUNCH of flowers. just getting a little greedy i suppose.

i've not had any phals make a keiki yet. would be cool though.... So how do i get them off? they just unstick or i have to break something or cut something or how? sorry, never had a keiki before either.

John · #5 05-21-2008, 04:29 PM

Nothing wrong with being greedy. You certainly can put them together. Most of the time I just pull and twist to get the keiki off. It should be easy.
John