Basal keikis

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

Basal keikis are different than spike keikes and really can't be separated.

Some orchids are just prone to keiki (whether basal or spike) and aren't necessarily an indication of a problem. If roots and plant look good and plant blooms when expected, there's probably no problems.

ahh I have to disagree on this one ... I have done it several times with great results .... I have 5 or 6 rescue phals right now I am working one and each have several basal keikis just starting into growth along the old rhizomes and once they are larger I will be separating them by cutting the old rhizome on each side of the new plant ... but I find phals are incredibly easy for me to grow.

The phals on both sides of this mount and the one below them are all basal keikis I seperated and mounted

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

ahh I have to disagree on this one ... I have done it several times with great results .... I have 5 or 6 rescue phals right now I am working one and each have several basal keikis just starting into growth along the old rhizomes and once they are larger I will be separating them by cutting the old rhizome on each side of the new plant ... but I find phals are incredibly easy for me to grow.

The phals on both sides of this mount and the one below them are all basal keikis I seperated and mounted

Ah - cool info. Does this harm the parent?

[johnblagg]

not if your careful and it is above the medium just dont cut into the old rhizome deep just through it carefully with a sharp tool.If its came up from below the medium and there is rootless space above it a inch or so with no roots I cut just above the keiki and wait a day or so for the wound to heal some after I dip the cut in a bleach solution to disinfect it and let it dry out but Its usually a plant that has a long bare section of rhizome and the keiki is in a section I wanted to take off that is too long to fit in a pot well anymore .I dont usualy have any problems removing the old sections anymore than taking old back bulbs in the back of a catt would create.

Of it is still not too big its a minor wound and heals easy enough ... but if you have lots of problems with the plant developing rot to begin with from minor trauma dont do it ... I very seldom have that issue with phals

[WhiteRabbit]

Cool, thanks for the info

[Wild Orchid]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

not if your careful and it is above the medium just dont cut into the old rhizome deep just through it carefully with a sharp tool.If its came up from below the medium and there is rootless space above it a inch or so with no roots I cut just above the keiki and wait a day or so for the wound to heal some after I dip the cut in a bleach solution to disinfect it and let it dry out but Its usually a plant that has a long bare section of rhizome and the keiki is in a section I wanted to take off that is too long to fit in a pot well anymore .I dont usualy have any problems removing the old sections anymore than taking old back bulbs in the back of a catt would create.....

Ummm...I thought we were talking about Phals, not Catts?
L.

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by rlilia

Ummm...I thought we were talking about Phals, not Catts?
L.

And we are indeed, but in both cases you have a rhizome and we regularly cut the rhizomes of catts and other genera in two to remove divisions the only difference is one grow upwards and one grows laterally . Of course catts produce far more leads its just that when they are produced by a phal they are not called a new lead they are Basal Keikis instead.... I know that people often cut the old rhizome of older phals off when they have lost all roots and repot then the newer section with good roots is placed lower in the pot and new medium added to cover the newer roots. If you can do this with little problem then a basal keiki can be taken off when large enough as well,your in essence doing exactly the same procedure just behind a newer growth ...