Usual or not for a keiki..?

[Nico]

Hello everybody! Nice to be here again.

After a friend of mine pot a keiki, 3 weeks later a spike was growing and now it has a little white flower.

I have a picture with the bud. Is it usual for a plant so small to flower? Anyway, my friend is very happy.

[dennis]

how times have changed last year by now you would of have had 5 post and 15 ditto's. being no one wants to answer your question i will. this is normal to a extent, i have seen a lot of keiki send out a spike while still very young. it is best to remove the spike to decrease the stress on the young plant.

[cb977]

Hi Nico

That is surprising but wonderful

I'd enjoy the bloom and cut the spike back as soon as that flower drops so the plant can concentrate on growth. It all comes down to your friend's personal choice...but it won't hurt the plant

[Nico]

Thanks to you, my friend thinks I'm an expert in orchids!

So, growing is the most important now... Of course! Thanks a lot!

Dennis, my English is not very good. Are you saying that the forum is not what it was 1 year ago, or else...?

[quiltergal]

Nico, I've seen Keikis bloom while still attached to the mother plant. I don't think it's terribly unusual. I think you could go either way with the spike.

[camille1585]

A blooming keiki is not really unusual. I guess it depends on the health and vigor of keiki as well as the hybrid itself. Some will more readily flower than others. I think that leaving the spike is a matter of personal preference in this case. Enjoy these blooms or cut it off to let the keiki throw it's energy into growing to hopefully get even more flowers next time!
Personally, I let my phals do what they want as long as they are healthy.

[cb977]

Nico, I think the board is getting better every day. You happened to post your question on a Sunday with a lot of orchid shows happening in the U.S.. You didn't get the usual multiple replies as quickly as you would have if lots of people weren't out for the day and not sitting at their computers