Too many keikis on Phal. equestris?

[Val]

Originally Posted by cythaenopsis

I like how you attached some moss to them earlier, as a means of providing extended moisture exposure. I wonder if you're still doing this, as later photos do not show any moss on the keikis.

Not anymore. I just water the mother plant when the roots look (almost) dry.

An interesting outcome of the moss experiment: when the moss was wrapped around the root base, everything was OK, but when the moss was around the root tips (shorter roots, for instance), the roots grew into the moss but never grew as long as to get out of the moss. Which is logical in hindsight: why leave the place where you can find water and food?. So happy roots get lazy )

Originally Posted by cythaenopsis

One other thing... to see keikis create their own keikis! That's just incredible.

Well, not yet. For now, I'm happy with keikis blooming simultaneously.

Originally Posted by cythaenopsis

Basically if you are letting the mother plant support a keiki, do you need to mist the roots every day?

I used to do that at the beginning, but then I stopped, wathching them closely. Nothing (bad) happened. Watering and feedeng the mother plant correctly proved to be enough.

However, I did mist the roots of every keiki that I knew was going to be cut and potted, for several days before cutting them from the mother plant, as a means of getting them used to a wet-dry cycle.

Originally Posted by cythaenopsis

I guess this is the kind of plant you really need to be with frequently.

I don't really need to - but I want to
I feel like a little boy in front of a giant cake. I can't take my eyes off... her.

Originally Posted by cythaenopsis

I wonder if the mother plant will continue sprouting keiki's, if it finds that doing so doesn't tax it too much (plenty of periodic moisture and nutrients).

Apart from the genetic factor (and equestris is notoriously prone to keikis), it also depends on the plant's strength and the stress factor. This time it produced keikis because it was stressed (not enough light, followed by to much light), and fortunately it was healthy and strong enough to be able to carry all of them. But I'm stil convinced that it was a complex combination of factors that stil eludes me.

Originally Posted by cythaenopsis

Do you use any orchid food supplements when watering?

Just MSU-type fertilizer, 4ml/liter, with every watering (rain water). When the keikis were young, I used to add some KLN rooting hormone from time to time. I was afraid I was going to have to remove many of them very soon and I wanted them to be ready for potting. But other than that, nothing.

[cythaenopsis]

Val, thanks for your thorough reply!

Fascinating about the moss and the keiki root reaction to it. It makes sense, as I've seen abundant moss in the pot keep roots beneath it while photos of orchids in bark type potting mix have more wandering roots. It's very artistic, how those keiki roots shoot out to the sides, searching for moisture and tree bark to grab onto.

I can relate to how you're feeling about the plant. It's kind of like having a pet. Feedback is of course much slower, but definitely there.

Funny, I must have misread a posting, but I see now it was about keikis spawning from branched spikes instead of off the main spike (or maybe someone made a comment about a keiki spawning its own keiki). So dramatic looking... I like your nickname "Pegasus"--very fitting!

The equestris is quite an entertaining phal with its keiki spawning tendencies and now that I know about them I'll have to keep an eye out about getting one eventually. Especially since it's not necessary to mist the keiki roots on a daily basis. I should have thought about it as a phal in the wild, as it doesn't rain every day. Of course, in the rain forest, it'll be humid on a mostly consistent basis.

I'll have to do more reading up on orchid nutrients. I bought some supplement mix that you add to water (1/2 teaspoon to 1 gallon, similar to your 4ml/liter mix), which recommends alternating it every other watering. I have no idea if it is making a difference, but as long as the plants continue to be healthy it certainly can't hurt (I've heard the biggest issue is using too much of it).

[vega279]

beautifull. I know this is an old post but I also have an equestris that wont bloom mounted cork bark has produced 3 keikis but no blooms for 2 years lives outside under oak tree dappled sun plenty rain water but no flowers plant is healthy I brought it in bloom so its been a waiting game between us. I added a pik of the equestris which is the one on the bottom of the mount the top is a phal noid I saved from flea market and neither have bloomed

[Val]

When a Phalaenopsis doesn't bloom, the most common cause is low light.
Try to give it more light!

[Val]

This is how it looks like in 2012 (May 24):
- the whole plant (mother plant with 5 keikis): DSC_7095 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
- the flowers: DSC_7099 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Since then I have detached and potted one of the keikis. The roots are quite flexible and I was able to spiral them inside the pot. It's doing great in medium grade bark, kept slightly on the dry side.

I'm interested in trading some keikis for any equestris species/hybrid keikis - but only in Europe. There are two or three keikis potted and well established and one or two to be detached and shipped bare-root for mounting.
(Worth mentioning: since the date I took the pictures above, roots have grown at least two more inches.)

Any takers?

[Andromeda Lane]

Wow! This is absolutely stunning!!!

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Wow, that is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jayfar]

Wow!!!! Remember I told you that looked like a very healthy plant. That is stupendous growth since the April photos you had posted.

[Carolsorchids]

Originally Posted by Lil_flame33

I'm jealous!

Me too!

[Phalchid]

Never in my life have I seen so many keikis on one plant! Awesome!