New Phal with basal keikis - Orchid Board

Sekhmet121 · #1 04-13-2014, 02:55 AM

Ah, the joys of being a lost newbie.

I bought this little phal (Gold Tris) the other day. I was looking at it as a pretty little mini, but when I really looked her over, I noticed she is sporting two basal keikis. My question is, what to do now? Is it alright to leave them together or should I separate them? What's better for the mother plant? I would love to keep all three of them healthy and happy.

Orchid Whisperer · #2 04-13-2014, 07:41 AM

Basal keikis should stay attached to the mother plant as long as possible (years may be necessary before they develop enough roots to be on their own). I have heard it's best to let them separate from the mother plant naturally over time.

lexusnexus · #3 04-13-2014, 08:55 AM

Nice looking phal. Thanks for the info OW. Good information to have.

quiltergal · #4 04-13-2014, 11:42 AM

Are they for sure attached to the mother plant? I bought a Phal last year that looked like it had two basal Keikis. When I repotted they were actually separate plants.

Joyorchid · #5 04-13-2014, 12:09 PM

Phals with basal keikis can develop into awesome specimen plants. If the mother and keiki spike at the same time you will get an excellent display!

Its as if the two, or three are working together. They share a root system but can make more "energy" because of the increased leaf surface area. Even if they are not connected, I would advise repotting or removing unless you think the root system is compromised.

RosieC · #6 04-14-2014, 08:36 AM

I would leave them.

I have a NoID with flowers exactly like this and it seems to want to have several Basil keikis. It started as a plant similar size to yours and is now a small clump with 5 basil keikis. I'm about to mount it because there are so many roots in so many directions I think it's the only way to care for it.

Sekhmet121 · #7 04-14-2014, 03:02 PM

Y'all have me even more excited about my plant than when I bought it. I really didn't realize that I could leave them together.

I really would like to repot them in a clear pot after the mom finishes blooming. I like to being able to see what's going on, and would rather have them in bark instead of moss.

I love the idea of mounting a little cluster. I have roots going everywhere, too.