Should I separate? How? What is this?

[omlitt2]

See attached pictures. Really do not know what to do here or what this is. Any help appreciated with this Phal.

[FairyInTheFlowers]

What you have there is called a kieki. There are some types of orchids that asexually reproduce by growing plantlets from somewhere on the mother. In this case it looks like the kieki is coming from the old flower spike. A general guideline for separation is to wait until the kieki has at least 3" of roots. In this case, I'd say yours has plenty enough roots to be potted separately, and almost looks better off than the mother.

[omlitt2]

Originally Posted by FairyInTheFlowers

What you have there is called a kieki. There are some types of orchids that asexually reproduce by growing plantlets from somewhere on the mother. In this case it looks like the kieki is coming from the old flower spike. A general guideline for separation is to wait until the kieki has at least 3" of roots. In this case, I'd say yours has plenty enough roots to be potted separately, and almost looks better off than the mother.

Thanks so much! So you cut at spike (where exactly would you recommend?) and the cut spike end goes in the new repotted medium? Would you recommend moss or bark at this point?

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Yeah, cut the spike as close to the kieki as you can, and gently dust the cut with some cinnamon powder if you have. The potting medium depends on what you're most comfortable with in accordance to your environment.

[bil]

Personally unless the mother is in a bad way, I would bin a keiki. They take time to bloom, and with be the same as the mother. So, unless you want several identical orchids...

Re medium. I like coarse bark with all the small stuff sieved out. It can't be over watered. Winter I water them once a week, and in full summer, three times.

If you pot them in moss you have to be very careful indeed. With moss the air spaces fill op when the plant is watered, and the roots slowly start to suffocate. If you water again before the moss has dried out enough to allow air to reach the roots, they will eventually die.

An attractive alternative is to mount the orchid on a piece of aquarium wood, using a pad of sphag moss to retain water. They then pretty well need watering every day in the summer, but feeling the moss is a surefire way to see if it needs water.
Because it dries out fast, this again is fairly rot proof as long a you don't overdo the moss or saturate it everyday in the winter.