noid, seen this growth before?

[Florida_guy_26]

I would agree totally with rescuer- do not remove the keiki as it will NOT be able to support the bloom spike on its own. If it were my call, I would keep fertilizing and watering like you are and let the keiki bloom because it is only acting as a medium between the mature plant and the new spike for now. After blooming, remove the spike down to the node closest to the keiki and then if you get ambitious try removing the keiki but treat it as a deflasked seedling- giving lower light and keeping it on the drier side until it has adapted to gowing without help. Im sure the frozen growth will resume after flowering but if not, then wait and it may produce another keiki that will grow. Be patient and wait for now and keep us up to date on how it is doing.

[Weebl]

You could use a sterilized blade and carefully (emphasizing carefully) cut the outer leaf along the mid rib to perform a cesarean section on the keiki. To allow the other leaves to breathe and grow normally. After cutting the innerds free I would spray with physan to prevent any infection.

[quiltergal]

I think you need to decide if you want the keiki or the spike to develop. I don't think the plant will do both. If you want the keiki to develop I would cut off the spike and perform the surgery mentioned above. If you leave the spike on and let it bloom it could be months before it finishes. I don't think the keiki will continue to grow normally especially if you leave it as is. JMO

[mi xiao]

i operated and removed the keiki.
the spike is still looking ok.
the mother plant is still alive.

i think i am two for two.


will update when something happens.


thanks for your help.

[new_orchid_rescuer]

Do you have any pics of what it looks like now? Did you try to 'release' the leaf?

[cneos]

Your plant is definitely a phalaenopsis.

It looks like the previous bloom (and keiki) emerged from the center of the crown of the 'mother' plant. If this is so, my experience is it's fatal for the 'mother' ... no new leaves will grow from the crown as they normally would; keikis have similar abnormality. My friend calls these one bloom wonders. Enjoy them as foliage plants as you wonder about their odd habit.

If, on the other hand, the previous inflorescence (and keiki) are arising normally - from the base of the plant, not from the crown - check out the roots and general health of the mother and repot the plant. Established plants as well as keikis can bloom themselves to death ... you want to be sure that the root system is strong enough to support the plant.
I'd remove the keiki from the mother; cut off the developing inflorescence; use a moistened q-tip or fine artist's brush to 'tease' open the 'frozen' leaf; and plant the keiki in sphagnum and grow as a new plant.
Good luck ...

[mi xiao]

the answer came today.

the keiki did not function on its own.


i'm pretty sad.

at least the mother is still alive.
yay foliage!!!

[camille1585]

I dunno.... I looked at the picture really carefully, and it seems to be a normal spike coming from the base and not from the crown. Could be wrong though.It would be nice for it to bloom again. Mi xiao, I think you're the only one who can tell us what it really is!

On a side note, how long does it take for a keiki to develop to weaning size? Are we talking about weeks or months of waiting?

[cneos]

A keiki with 2 - 3" long roots (with green tips) should not have died over-night or simply because surgery was performed to separate it from the mother plant.

As to how long a keiki takes to grow to be able to support it, that depends on the genus and more importantly the health of the mother plant.

[orchidexpress]

Hello,
Looks to me like a keiki from a phal stem. Looks like it needs help opening it's self. Sometimes the elaves get stuck and i need to help them, on occasion.