Will the flower spike(s) of a keiki survive after transplanting?

[Berrybee]

A friend has a phal orchid and a keiki growing out from an old live flower spike. Yesterday she cut the whole spike and gave it to me, so that I can have a new plant, and she's hoping after cutting the old spike, a new spike will grow out. But when I looked at the cutting, I noticed a spike just started to grow out on the keiki, still a very tiny tip. And it looks like another spike going out from the other side.
In this case, will the flower spikes survive? What should I do to increase the chance of surviving? Can I remove the keiki and pot it? Or should I leave it on the spike cutting? There are 2 knots below the keiki. Right now I put the spike in a container with some water.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated!!


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[jcec1]

The chances of the keiki surviving will largely depend on how many roots it has. The roots will now be how the keiki derives its moisture and nutrients, not the mother plant. I would pot the keiki up in a small pot and care for it as you would for a phalaenopsis.

[Berrybee]

Thanks. What about the flower spikes growing on it then? Will they survive too? I heard flower related things are more sensitive to changes. The keiki itself now has 3 pretty long roots, 3-4 inches, and 1 new root growing. It has 3 leaves now.


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[Berrybee]

Here's a photo. The little green thing close to the smallest leaf on the left is a flower spike, and there's another one growing on the opposite side. I hope they can keep growing.



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[Orchidgirl83]

Nice keiki, is the flower spike growing from the keiki, or from the old spike the keiki is growing on?

[Bud]

You can pot it or mount it. You have enough roots for the keiki to survive. You may twist it gently to pry it lose from the old spike stick or you may not do anything and just pot it with the old stick it is attached to. I hope the emerging flower spike of the baby plant survives and does not blast on you.

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by Orchidgirl83

Nice keiki, is the flower spike growing from the keiki, or from the old spike the keiki is growing on?

good point. I potted up a similar phal keiki and it had a green mitten/spike nubbin from the bit of stem that the keiki was attached to. Nothing happened for a few months but is now growing on. So based on my ( one ) experience it seems that after the keiki establishes itself, the spike grows on, even if its not from the keiki itself. I would pot up the keiki. I doubt that it would do better in water, but you can always prove me wrong !

[Berrybee]

Orchidgirl83, the spikes are growing out from the keiki.

[Orchidgirl83]

Then I agree with Bud, the spike will probably survive. I would cut the old spike it is growing on close to the keiki, I would be too scared that I would kill it to twist it off!

[Berrybee]

Thank you all for the replies! I'm so nervous to take the keiki off the old spike. I may just leave the connecting part of the old spike there for the potting then.