Multiple Keikis

[Arrelcy]

Hi, I'm new to the site and trying to figure out this posting thing. I have about 8 orchids but am very much a beginner--really don't know much about orchid types except that I have at least 3 different ones. From looking at websites, it appears that I have an orchid that put out 2 keikis, one of which flowered at the same time it started growing leaves, and another one, which appears to possibly be a double (identical twin?) keiki, with 4 roots and 2 groups of leaves--4 on the right and 4 on the left. My question is: do I detach and plant the double keiki as one or split them? Also, the flowers attached to the other keiki are now starting to die off. Once the flowers are done blooming do I then separate that keiki and plant that one or leave it on the mother plant? Thank you for your help and patience!

[rbarata]

Welcome Arrelcy.
An important part of a question of this kind is to post always a photo. It worths a thousand words.

[jkofferdahl]

A lot of how we answer the question depends on what type of plant we're dealing with. As rbarata pointed out, pictures are also helpful. Keikis are a blessing!

[Roberta]

I'm guessing "Dendrobium"... I am inclined to leave keikis on the plant... they'll flower there, and I'd rather have one big strong plant with lots of flowers than a bunch of weak little ones with few or none. It will certainly do no harm to leave the keikis attached, even if they grow roots. If you have a big husky one, with nice long roots, then it has a chance of becoming another strong plant. But for now, just leave it.

[Arrelcy]

Ok, had to figure out how to do that. Posted one, but can't get it right side up... but maybe it will still help sideways

[Roberta]

OK. This is a Phalaenopsis. It looks like it might have done the keikis as a survival mechanism... the mother plant doesn't look great. If the keiki has good roots, you can separate it (clipping a bit of the parent branch.) The mother plant probably needs repotting if you haven't done it already.

If you remove a keiki, it might actually do better in a semi-hydro environment (since the roots are air roots) then putting in a pot, since when the root environment changes drastically, the root tends to die, and new ones grow suited to the new environment - if the plant has the strength to keep going in the transition.

[Arrelcy]

So at the top is that one keiki or two? Do I separate the other one with the flowers, too or wait until the flowers die and then do it? And by semi-hydro environment do you mean one of the pots with openings in it where you just plant it in bark? Thank you for your help!

[rbarata]

Ok, had to figure out how to do that. Posted one, but can't get it right side up... but maybe it will still help sideways

Post it, we'll put it right!

---------- Post added at 09:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:16 PM ----------

Thise keikis are ready to be taken out of the mother plant...but you can leave there, if you want. Just need to wet/mist the roots (although, depending on your humidity, they grow anyway).

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Arrelcy

So at the top is that one keiki or two? Do I separate the other one with the flowers, too or wait until the flowers die and then do it? And by semi-hydro environment do you mean one of the pots with openings in it where you just plant it in bark? Thank you for your help!

Others on this forum do a lot more with "semi hydro" than I do, so I leave it to them to say what THEY do... What I have done, with some success, is to put the Phal into an empty jar or vase, put some rocks in the bottom just to increase surface area... Fill the jar to the top, let sit for a few minutes to saturate the roots, then pour off the water. The rocks will stay wet, and there will be a little bit of water trapped between them at the bottom of the jar. But the roots will mostly be in air - which is very humid because of the moisture at the bottom. A few days later, repeat... Phals tend to root vigorously in this environment.