How long before Dendrobium kingianum keiki flowers?

[Paul Mc]

Let's say that a keiki from a Dendrobium kingianum is given the optimum growing conditions. With that in mind, how long does it generally take before a keiki would bloom for the first time?

I'm curious because I have several that I am wanting to give to friends and neighbors, but as my partner pointed out many people may not want to wait for years before they bloom. LOL... silly orchid-holic, I forgot about that part!

[WhiteRabbit]

I can't say how long it may take for them to bloom if they have been removed from the parent - but I do have some keikis ON my kingianum - a couple are about a year old, and one developed this past fall/winter along with the spikes - all are blooming now, along with the parent.

Hopefully someone can tell us how long to expect before blooming if the keikis have been removed.

[silken]

I was told keikis are as mature as the parent, not like a seedling. So if this is true, it shouldn't take them very long to flower. I have a few den. nobile keikis flowering while they are still attached to the motherl. They were only new this spring and flowered almost before I could actually see the keiki! Not sure if the mother plant was providing all the vigor or what.

[Paul Mc]

WOW, so you guys don't remove your keiki's then? I was under the impression that you were supposed to remove them once the roots were a few inches long.

[silken]

For mine I didn't have the chance! The flowers buds were forming before I could even confirm that there was a keiki there as well. And they are only growing roots now with flowers on. I will remove mine when they look ready as they are quite high up on the old cane. I find my keikis struggle when on their own, but not sure why.

[WhiteRabbit]

it isn't necessary to remove keikis, no one to remove them in nature, tho in nature, I am sure some fall off with time - but it's a cheap way to get more plants - for yourself or to share I have a few plants with keikis on them - the kingi, the two keikis from last year haven't developed much by way of roots, and the one from this year is still tiny (started growing last fall, maybe an inch long, got a small spike, not much by way of roots)

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

it is necessary to remove keikis, no one to remove them in nature, tho in nature, I am sure some fall off with time - but it's a cheap way to get more plants - for yourself or to share I have a few plants with keikis on them - the kingi, the two keikis from last year haven't developed much by way of roots, and the one from this year is still tiny (started growing last fall, maybe an inch long, got a small spike, not much by way of roots)

I didn't know that it was necessary to remove the keikis. I leave them on my kingianum, and only remove them if someone wants one.

[RosieC]

My Kingianum seems to love producing keikis. I removed some of them just so I could experiment on different growing conditions (I mounted one, put one in S/H and a third in bark). But it has several more that I have just left on the mother.

[Paul Mc]

Rosie, what was the end result of your experiment?

Everyone, if you leave your keiki's on, how do those roots get water then? Do you mist or just ignore them?

[RosieC]

Not sure yet, it's only been a month. The one in bark is actually growing best so far, but it's really too early to tell.

The keikis still on the mother get occasional misting. Sometimes I'm spraying mounts in the same room (more often the mounts are soaked in the sing) and when I do that I mist the Kingianum keikis as well, but it's more of a 'while I'm here' type of thing.

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