den kingianum Grows nothing but kekeis

[Ajeek45]

Hi. I’m a newbie and am trying the den kingianum. I’ve had it one year. Last year it put out a lot of kekeis. I kept it in a southern window over the winter hoping it would bloom. The kekeis got a lot bigger but no flowers. I just put it back outside for the summer and I see new growth from the top but they appear to be more kekies. Help please.

[orchidsarefun]

Unfortunately I learnt with these that you should buy it in bloom for it to be a rebloomer. Some cultivars just don't bloom at all and many people have them because of keikis being handed out.
If you did get it in bloom - I leave mine outdoors until the late 40's, then indoors to basement at 55-60 for Winter. When buds open I bring it upstairs into a SF window at minimum temps of around 70f. I just tossed another cultivar - treated the same - that never bloomed. ( The second one...)

[camille1585]

Den kingianum needs to be kept cool from late fall to late winter, or else it won't flower and instead - as you've experienced - produce copious amounts of keikis. I think they can tolerate temps down to the low 40s, so in SC you may be able to leave it outside all winter, and move/protect it when it freezes. But I'm not really familiar with the climate in SC!

Watering should not be stopped/reduced in the winter, you only need to adapt the frequency to the temperature (in cool temps it will dry more slowly)

[swcheng15]

I had one from years ago that someone gave me as a keiki. I left it outside all seasons (I live in Northern California, so low 40s to some rare 80s when it's hot). They flowered without me doing much. We moved, and then it died from neglect (bad mommy). I have a new one now that I bought a month ago and I'm planning on leaving it outside year round as well. But I agree with what Camille said...I've read it needs to be cold.

[Ajeek45]

Thanks. In SC we get down in the 20 to 30 range for most of the winter. I’m in the foothills. Would it be ok to put it in the garage for the winter? It’s usually 4950 in there during the winter. Should I remove the keikis or leave them on the plant in hopes they bloom...

[Roberta]

Does the garage get light? 20-30 deg F is too cold. But they also like lots of light in the winter.

[Ajeek45]

It stays around 40 in the garage. The door has windows installed.

[camille1585]

This is why a lot of people struggle with this orchid; giving a cool winter and bright light is difficult to do for many people. You either need a favorable climate, an unheated veranda (if that's what it's called in English) a greenhouse, or a room that happens to meet those requirements.... A lot of people have more luck with hybrids. Den Berry Oda looks extremely similar to kingianum but is much more forgiving and will flower even if conditions aren't prefect.

[neophyte]

a cold break is probably what your orchids need; my plants usually start spiking around winter break because we turn off the heater when we go out of town . as for the keikis, you should probably remove them if their roots are long enough. i have a Den Berry Oda that produced three keikis and i potted them with the mother plant and fertilized heavily throughout the summer. the next winter, both the mother plant and one of the keikis flowered . i am not sure if Den kingianum is as vigorous-growing but i would definitely remove the keikis.