Orchid growth?

[Bribri]

I inherited this orchid from my mother. I'm not certain what it is. I repotted this plant once I received it into care. I actually was able to separate it into 2 pots.
I was wondering though, why are there so many roots growing on my main plant? Is this what they call a keiki? Am I able to seperate and repot it into a third plant? Should these roots be placed under medium?
And should I be concerned of the crinkles in the leaves?

Thanks!!

[shushu45]

Looks like a keiki to me. But I am still new to the world of orchids. I'll let the ones who know more help u more.
Oh and the crinkled leaves means it dehydrated.

[Optimist]

This is not a keikei, it is the normal growth pattern. That is what happens to oncidium type orchids that have not been repotted in a while. This is what an orchid does when it trys to "escape" its pot. What I would have done was to remove the old backbulbs, and plant the new plant in a separate pot.

The leaves indicate bad watering schedual. These are called accordian leaves, it is a blemish which happens because it is watered either infrequently, or not enough. Accordian leaves do not go away, but once you establish better culture, all following leaves look better.

Besides those problems, the plant looks very nice.

[Ray]

Adding to Optimist's comments, some oncidium-types are naturally "climbers", seeking to move higher in the host tree to gather more sunlight. As we tend to grow them unnaturally potted, you may find it will continue that "climbing" nature, right out of the pot.

[Bribri]

That is so interesting!

Would it be wrong to keep it as it is? I'm a little nervous separating them (just scared I'll kill it). With the roots being exposed to air...should I mist them? I'll be on you tube to see if I can find some demonstrations though. If I follow through with the separation, should I keep the old bulbs potted or are they garbage?

Thanks for the help!

[silken]

These also look somewhat over-potted to me. You will have to be careful of root rot. Orchids usually prefer to be somewhat pot bound. So when you re-pot, choose a pot that fits the root system with just a bit of room to spare. Even if this means keeping the same pot with new media.

I myself would remove the rooted part and give it its own pot. It is a nice set of roots and would likely do well with good culture. It also appears to be growing sideways now and could be potted standing up better in its own pot.

[Optimist]

Bribri, I have an oncidium exactly like this, I mist its roots every day. The are growing and healthy. Oncidiums, and many other orchids live their lives on the branch of a tree (which actually makes me question whether they like to be pot bound, but I know they want to be stable. ) Their roots never touch anything, they just hang out in the air. The roots have a goal of developing a thatch if they can hang on to something. I am sure you've seen other plants like this. Mellons for example try to find something to climb. If the roots are kept hanging out, I would get a small humidifier to keep the air moist.

Keeping the old bulbs would be good for the entire plant, because they are a food source for the new growth.

You have to come at it with the idea that epiphyte orchids are not really supposed to be in pots, the pot and medium do a few things: they provide a place for the orchid roots to cling, steadying the orchid, they keep a bit of humidity near the root and also slow medium drying time. The bad thing about pots is that they create compost, turn wood into soil, keep air movement down (creating an anorobic environment that sours the medium, suffrocates the roots, and kills the plant in time) That is why they need to be repotted as much as they do.

This kind of stuff does not happen in their natural state, mounted to a tree branch in the open. Obviously some decomposition will occur, but the orchid re-pots itself by moving along the branch, each new generation of growth on a fresh patch of tree branch, the old bulbs being cannibalized by the new growth until they shrivel completely.