Basal keiki in troublesome spot (?) - Orchid Board

ErikaAurelia · #1 04-21-2016, 01:42 PM

Well hello there!

I recently (today) discovered this keiki while giving water to the motherplant, it being rather well hidden is probably the reason I did not see it earlier.

I love the fact that this orchid is getting a keiki, it is my oldest orchid and has never had any keikis before. But it is basal... I've heard you shouldn't separate a basal keiki from the motherplant, is that correct?
If I shouldn't separate them, ever, how is this going to work? It is growing in the middle of all those roots! Looks like it has worked hard to get its leaves through to the light

But leaving it there to grow... how would that work?

EDIT: Hmm... how come this ended up in another part of the forum than the one I intended?
If a moderator sees this: move to the place things like this belong

If that is not possible I guess I will have to live with it

estación seca · #2 04-21-2016, 02:39 PM

A big, beautiful plant! The keikii will figure things out just fine.

ErikaAurelia · #3 04-21-2016, 04:11 PM

Thank you for your reply! But if it has to stay attached to the motherplant forever...won't the keiki eventually become really big? Growing in that direction ... it will make the orchid huge and quite hard to keep in place. Tbh it is already a monster-orchid, I would need a very heavy new pot to keep the mother + another little monster growing there.

If anyone knows if there is a safe way to separate a basal keiki from the mother, please tell. I know it is way too early to do that now, I don't even know where it is attached exactly (I replanted the orchid just a month ago and then I did not see that keiki), but it would be so so sooooo nice if I could separate it from the mother someday.

katrina · #4 04-21-2016, 06:26 PM

You don't have to leave it forever...unless you want to. The usual advice is to leave it until it separates on it's own or until it's big enough and w/roots sufficient enough that it has the best chance of survival.

ErikaAurelia · #5 04-21-2016, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katrina

You don't have to leave it forever...unless you want to. The usual advice is to leave it until it separates on it's own or until it's big enough and w/roots sufficient enough that it has the best chance of survival.

Alright. I hope it will be easy to separate then, All I can image in my head is them being attached by like...a 1 cm area. The thought of cutting my orchid like that hurt a bit, but maybe it won't be a problem.