How long does it take.....

[Skwishee]

One of my Phalaenopsis has a keiki. In general, how long does it take for a keiki to bloom once you remove it from the mother plant??

[Ross]

I didn't remove mine until it had a well-developed root. Then it took about 2 years. I am not impressed with this first bloom - it is not true to the parent, but hope the next year's bloom will be better. Hope this helps.

[Phalguy]

Hello!

My guess would be when it`s gonna have 5 or 6 inch leaf span ! ( maybe more !)

Be patient.......

Phalguy

[justatypn]

Like any growing orchid it takes time for a keiki to develop. You can help it along by making sure it gets a sufficient watering regimen, misting lightly to keep the humidity high, low/med light and good air circulation. It will please you with lovely blooms in a few years. You do have to be patient. Congrats on your new addition

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[Skwishee]

Thanks for the replies

I guess I can be patient -- I've waited almost 3 years for one of my orchids to bloom!!

rsfrid, your post got me wondering -- are the flowers on a keiki always that same as the flowers on the mother plant?? If the mother plant is a hybrid, could the flowers on the keiki be like the flowers from one of the plants that created the hybrid??

[mayres]

The keiki is an EXACT genetic copy of the mother plant. Blooms should be exactly the same. The growing environment can alter the bloom appearance significantly for some phals. In my case it took a keiki I removed from a spike 18 months to have a small spike of two flowers. It would have probably helped the plant grow if I had removed it. Now, a year later the keiki is looking more like a young plant one might find at a retail outlet instead of a very small plant with little spike. Part of the answer lies in what your growing conditions are during the keiki's growth phase. Phals grow very fast in warm temps (82-90 degrees) and progressively slower as you cool down. So, to a point, the warmer you grow your phals the sooner it will be ready to spike for you. mike

[Ross]

Agree totally with Mike. However, it is VERY common for first bloom to be less than impressive. Happens with most genera. This one has sentimental value so I will wait to see. The first spike has 5 buds, 2 of which are open. The flowers are about 1/2 the size of the parent plant and darker.

[gands]

Have you ever checked out KeikiPro ? It can produce blooming keiki's in 6 -8 months. Here is one of my results:

[Skwishee]

Wow -- I thought my keiki was growing three roots. Turns out, it's growing two roots and a flower stem!!

The mother plant is also growing a new root and a flower stem

Should I be fertilizing the mother plant??

[gands]

Yes continue to grow your mother plant as usual