Can too many keikis be a good thing !

[veena]

I have keikis on every orchid in my garden. Is this a good thing or bad thing. I want flowers not more orchid plants. I know I'm doing something wrong. I live in India where light is never in short supply. I also use a nitrogen rich fertilizer spray once a week. I really need some help here guys!

[AboutOrchids]

If light is good, then I think that too much water, especially in the dormant season, promotes keikis. I know that can happen with Dendrobiums, but I'm not sure about other genera. What kinds of orchids do you have?

[l.ania]

Usually keiki is not a good thing- it means that orchid desperately wants to survive and is dying. The thing is different when you use keiki paste. And of course some orchids are genetically predispoed to produce keikis.
If I were you, I would check roots and the condition of the plants... If everything's ok, you don't have to worry- maybe they are just like this

[iceicebaby]

Hi I am from India and my dendrobiums are putting out keiks.
It is hot and humid and my plants are in shade.
I give a liquid nitrogen spray every day and water the plants twice every week.
I had sprayed them with keikpro a few days back.
I thought it was the vegetative season and hence the growth.

[epiphyte78]

Having a lot of keikis on your orchids is good for your friends that also like orchids. Or you can use them to trade for new species of orchids to try and grow.

Maybe you're using too much fertilizer. I don't use any fertilizer and the only keiki I have right now is on my Dendrobium chrysanthum. Want to trade?

[Andrew]

It might help if you specify what type of orchids you have producing keikis (Dendrobiums, Phalaenopsis, ?). While excessive keiki growth usually indicates that growth cues are out of balance it is not that detrimental to the plant (at least no more detrimental than flowering). However, as the saying goes, you don't grow orchids for the leaves (apologies to jewel orchid collectors) so excessive keiki growth is not desireable.

Originally Posted by veena

I also use a nitrogen rich fertilizer spray once a week.

Therein lies your problem. High nitrogen fertilizers encourage growth, often at the expense of flowering. If your orchids are prone to flowering use a lower nitrogen NPK particularly in the lead up to flowering.

[veena]

The keikis are growing on my dendrobiums.(nobile, crysitoxum and pierardii)

[veena]

I think I should change my fertilizer as suggested by Andrew. But isn't high nitrogen fert. good for flowering?
Is it okay to water just twice a week in summer here in India?Pune isn't exactly humid.I do not know which temperature zone to place it .

[Becky15349]

Just my two cents, but I was taught in hort class that giving too much fertilizer (especially nitrogen rich) can result in increased vegetative growth and keiki production. If you over-give nitrogen, you will rarely see flowers. There have been many studies conducted at my university that support this claim. However, N IS necessary in the fertilizer mix because it promotes green development. Nitrogen is the main element that stimulates vegetative growth, not flowers. Potassium is the element that stimulates flower production. However, it is the action of the three macronutrients together, N, P, and K, that is needed for plant health. You should alternate your fertilizer with a bloom-booster type that has lower N and higher P, but don't use it all the time, just alternate. Also, do give just plain water once in a while, the plants need that to flush out salts. I also agree with the potential that you may be watering too frequently, especially dendrobiums, they are sensitive to this and should be dryer during their cooling down period in the fall.

[veena]

Hi Becky!
That was exactly the info I needed.Thanks a lot!! I think I will have to change my fert. routine to include a high P fertilizer too. Since I live in a dry climate and grow my orchids outside I water them everyday.