KeikiPro on backbulbs

[LeeB]

Has anyone had any luck using KeikiPro to get dormant eyes to sprout from back bulbs?

[escualida]

I've tried it and can't say for sure if it's worked or not, about half the eyes I put it on sprouted, and the other half didn't. I think it might depend on the plant, either way I don't think it hurts them so might as well try.

[LeeB]

Thank you Adriana, KeikiPro is expensive so I'm trying to see if it is worth investing in. LeeB

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by LeeB

Thank you Adriana, KeikiPro is expensive so I'm trying to see if it is worth investing in. LeeB

I have over 90% success rate in sprouting BBs and never used KeikiPro. Success is in the preparation and in the quality of the BB, not what high-priced "stuff" someone wants to sell you.

[WhiteRabbit]

I have only tried propagating Cym backbulbs once (2 back bulbs from same plant) - didn't use anything on them, both sprouted.

[escualida]

I thought you meant like pseudo bulbs that were older but still attached to the plant.

I think if you cut the backbulb away from the rest of the plant it will usually sprout a new lead if it has viable eyes left.

[Cym Ladye]

escualida is correct on this, but I still do not think you will need any chemical/biological help. The job of a Cym. pseudobulb once it has lost its leaves but is still attached to the plant, is to furnish nutrients to the remaining green bulbs. As soon as it is separated from the remaining plant, its natural instinct is to "send a message" to its dormant eyes and the most dominant will swell and turn into a new growth. There are several dormant eyes on a BB and if one is injured or inadvertently removed, a lesser one will try to take over to ensure the life of the plant.

An interesting note is if all the eyes fail to be energized, or if a bud eye is more dominant, the BB will send out a short spike in hopes that the flower will be pollinated and thus preserve the plant.

This is all in simplistic language and I am sure the botanists will have all the correct scientific terms, but I just wanted to get the basic process out in an understandable format.

CL

[james mickelso]

You go Cym Lady. Great information. I usually just put the Bb's in a black plastic pot somewhere cool and most of the time one or more of the eyes pop. It is interesting to know that they will on occasion push an inflorescence.

[Cym Ladye]

James, I credit the high quality of many of the mother plants in my collection to the early discovery that I could often obtain BBs of the plants I wanted long before I could get a division and at a fraction of the cost. Therefore, I learned how to grow them and avoid the pitfalls of losing them to rot. Seeing them come into bloom in about 3 years is one of the most gratifying aspects of my orchid hobby.

[james mickelso]

I agree. I love growing orchids more than flowering them. Yes I love the flowers too but there is a satisfaction in growing them through to flowering.