I kill keiks - Orchid Board

PJG · #1 07-30-2009, 05:26 PM

OK, I fail at keikis.

I need someone to say (as if standing beside me) Peter do this. Then this, now this.....

The images were taken on 7/20/09, so they have grown a bit since.

I'm not going to do anything until I get a VERY clear idea of what I'm doing (doing wrong).

Please treat me like a six year old.

Thanks

orchidsamore · #2 07-30-2009, 11:11 PM

Your keiki are much too young to remove.

Wait until the roots are about4-5 inches then cut off part of the old cane as well as the keiki

Leave it out for a couple of days for the cane cut to dry over and harden.

Then plant in a 2-3 inch pot

PJG · #3 07-31-2009, 06:08 PM

Jerry, thanks.

I'll try not and mess these ones up. And I'll wait until they seem/look strong to survive by themselves.

seamonkey · #4 07-31-2009, 07:16 PM

When I read the title of this post, I thought you killed keikis ... deliberately! What kind of monster would do such a thing!

PJG · #5 07-31-2009, 08:33 PM

Yes, after I had posted that, I thought, "that doesn't sound right". But I couldn't change it.

But factually, my keikis don't seem to survive. So I'm going to (take the simple) advice and hopefully I'll stop turning into a reaper.

I wouldn't care if the moderator changed it.

calvin_orchidL · #6 07-31-2009, 08:45 PM

Hmm your keikis seem to be yellowing though which isn't a good sign. I don't have much luck with them either to be honest, but your potting media looks a little broken down and the fact that your plant is putting out so many keikis suggests that something might be wrong with the parent plant...the canes look a little shrivelled and you don't seem to have too many leaves either

Not sure what kind of dend it is, but I would try repotting in a smaller pot with a coarser mix. See if that helps things

Doc G · #7 08-01-2009, 01:28 AM

I just read that some Dendrobiums can have an abundance of keikis if it gets too much water when it needs to be dry, or if it is too warm when it needs a cooler period.

PJG · #8 08-03-2009, 06:07 PM

I re-potted and cleaned up 3 plants, with a bark, so if they survive I'll pot the Keikis, when they're big enough. And hopefully they'll survive.

isurus79 · #9 08-03-2009, 06:51 PM

Your plant looks a little under-watered (whether its under-watered from root rot in rotten media or just a lack of water, I don't know)in the pics you showed us. I'm guessing that your keikis are also suffering from a lack of water and that is why they are yellow. I take my keikis off the canes as soon as they have a tiny root, say 1cm long. I don't like to do the whole wait until the roots at 5" long because those roots are now permanently air roots and will die when you pot them up. However, if you pot them up right away into wet spag (long fiber/New Zealand spag of course) they do great. I usually just pot them up with the parent plant, though if you don't use spag, you might not have enough moisture for the keiki.