Quote:
Originally Posted by CPC2
I searched through a few threads and this seemed to be the most appropriate. This is an orchid that I've had under a year. It bloomed, I cut off the spike and over the summer it put out 2 new leaves, September it put out the flower spike and October it started 3 keikis and yet another leaf. I know with any plant too much production can kill it. Should I destroy one of the keikis?
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There is a unique mind-set among orchid growers... "Oh no, my plant is growing and blooming too much, there must be something wrong". Does that really make sense?
It is a common misconception that keikis are somehow a drain on a plant's resources and can weaken the plant. It is no different than growing a new leaf - new green tissue supports itself and strengthens the plant. Period.
It is also a fallacy that a healthy mature plant (and yours seems pretty healthy) can bloom itself to death. The problem comes when people push an already weak plant, or use constant blooming as an excuse to stop good care, and they don't repot when the plant needs it or they keep it where they can enjoy the flowers rather than where the plant gets the light it needs.
There is some chance that letting multiple keikis grow will channel the plant's resources into them instead of flowering. But if you are really providing your plant with the right conditions to maximize blooming it won't make much difference.
And don't hesitate to start a new thread when you have a question even if it seems related. Your question deserves the specific attention a new thread will give it, and old threads get hard to read when they get long and address multiple questions.
Spike or keiki?
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