What effect on mother when removing keikies?
 

I have numerous Den. Kinganiums, 4 pots of which are actually keikes from the mother plant. My question is this. If I keep snapping off the kiekies (and stop potting them up!!) will this make the mom plant thicker, heartier or will it have no effect? These kings are constantly putting out keikes, despite careful monitoring of how much food and water they get, and when. Anyway, just curious...?

I have read that growers have accidentally selected out kingies that make lots of vegetative offsets like this, because they are so easy to reproduce. It won't affect the parent either way. I have read they should be very cool and dry in winter, cooler than most people keep their houses, and get as much winter sun as possible to increase flowering over making offsets. I have also read they shouldn't be fertilized past mid July to encourage flowering.

But the best advice I have read is to throw that plant away and buy a seedling from a strain that flowers better. For example, Sunset Valley Orchids has SVO 5348, kingie seedlings that are supposed to not offset.

Thank you. Esta? Not sure what to call you -but anyway I will absolutely go to that website. These can ganim's are constantly putting off these kiekes and have only flowered a few times.

Have you reduced nitrogen?

Send a keiki to me?

Absolutely! I can send you 5 or 6 if you'd like!

---------- Post added at 05:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:22 PM ----------

Send me a private message with your mailing address and I will send you some kiekes okay? When these flower the scent is wonderful and they stay flowered for several weeks.

---------- Post added at 05:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:22 PM ----------

Send me a private message with your mailing address and I will send you some cakies okay? Wendy's flower the scent is wonderful and they stay flowered for several weeks.

"And now for the rest of the story..."

If a D. kingianum is producing keikies at that prodigious a rate, something is seriously amiss in its culture.

I fertilize very little and water very seldom. I don't fertilize it all through the summer and weekly in fall through winter. Several did bloom last winter that I had in a South window and the ones that kieki the most I had an East window which I have now switched. I now have them all in a Southern facing window and I think this year I will have many more flowers, but I'd like to cut down on the kiekies

More sun, maybe?

Yeah. Will see the difference by putting them in the southern facing window. It gets really strong son through most of the day.