potted up six phal kiekis today

[cabbo]

Good luck, they look a little small. I think 3 leaves with 3 roots at least 3 inches was the best advice I ever got about potting keiki's. Just my 2 cents.

[chidlove]

Originally Posted by cabbo

Good luck, they look a little small. I think 3 leaves with 3 roots at least 3 inches was the best advice I ever got about potting keiki's. Just my 2 cents.

That is very good advice, and I made sure that the three Minho Princess Flying had three, three inch roots. As for the other tiny keikis, they are from a mini orchid noid [looks like Sara Brother Gold] They only had two roots each, but they are currently doing fine.
You don't happen to know when I can expect blooms? I want them to be good and healthy, before they do, so they are getting orchid fert. weakly when I water, and they are in good light.
Thanks for your input [appreciate all the advice givin]

[Moreau]

Ok, I took some pictures of my keiki. It seems to be really growing pretty well at this point, so I just need to know if it matters how much of the stem I leave on it when I cut it off (if I leave any at all)...and I picked up a special Phal orchid planting mix - is it ok to use that for the keiki or does it need something special since it's a "baby"? Ok, and one last question: do I cut off the stem at the base of the main plant after cutting off the keiki? I never cut if off after it flowered and I just read I should have. Does it matter on the timing of cutting off the stem? Thanks in advance for all the help!!!

Ok, here are the pictures! (I attached them and I'm not quite sure how it all works when you attach a picture on this board, so if it doesn't work let me know! )

Thanks again!!!
-Lis

[Rosiefuture]

Although I've been growing orchids for years I've never gone into it very deeply and I've made heaps of mistakes. I have only just started to take an interest in Phal's in the last 6 months or so. I didn't realise they flowered for so long and I didn't know they produced keiki's. I have 7 on my kitchen window sill and they seem to like it there. I bought 4 of them at a local Bunnings Warehouse off their reduced plant rack. They looked pretty awful and had no labels but they were just $10 each when they are usually $40-$50 full price. I live in Western Australia and it is really difficult for me to get nice orchids at a reasonable price because of our quarantine laws. I visited the US a few years ago and was so jealous of how easily and quite cheaply you can buy a huge range of orchids.

Marion

[greenbean]

Congrats on your new baby Phals! What are they?

Originally Posted by lobsterman

Chidlove,

I put some of that 'keiki grow plus' on my wallet, but haven't seen any growth yet!


Steve

Even if your wallet did produce keikis they sadly wouldn't grow with money already in them. You'd just have little wallets!

[chidlove]

Good looking keiki Lisa! You could cut the spike right down to about an inch from your medium,or let it wither itself and then cut. [after you take the baby off, of course]

[Moreau]

Thanks Chidlove! I didn't even know what it was when it first started growing.

I just noticed the basic orchid fertilizer I bought a while back has urea in it, and I've heard a few times on here to make sure you use a fert with no urea, so I just chucked it. Now all I have for fert is the blooming fert I just got. Is that ok to use on my keiki? (It is 11-35-15) Or should I go get a diff fertilizer?

-Lis

[chidlove]

Originally Posted by Moreau

Thanks Chidlove! I didn't even know what it was when it first started growing.

I just noticed the basic orchid fertilizer I bought a while back has urea in it, and I've heard a few times on here to make sure you use a fert with no urea, so I just chucked it. Now all I have for fert is the blooming fert I just got. Is that ok to use on my keiki? (It is 11-35-15) Or should I go get a diff fertilizer?

-Lis

Good morning Lisa,

With the container of kieki grow, were instructions to use 30-10-10 [a high nitrogen fert. This was while the kiekis were on momma plant. When they were potted up, I switched them to my regular fert. It is the schultz orchid fert,not sure thou, if it has urea or not,I just use it fairly diluted every time I water. The orchids also get plain water flushing, every month.
Sorry if this doesnt help much

[Moreau]

Hi Chidlove!

I had Schultz fertilizer, too, and that's the one I threw away because it had the urea in it. I cut off the keiki a few days back and repotted it along with all my orchids. I was a little nervous for all of them, but WOW are they HAPPY!!! Lots of perked up leaves! Woohoo! I must have done it right!

I'll go with the orchid bloom fertilizer and let you all know how it goes with my little keiki!

Thank you everyone for all the input!!!

-Lisa

[Austin Powers]

Childlove,
I am curious how long after blooming did you wait to apply the Keiki Grow paste?? I have the same product. I know it says to wait at least two weeks after the last bloom opens before applying the product. In the past I have only produced new flower buds, no keikis yet. I think that I applied the product too soon after blooming. I now have a couple nodes that I just treated in the last few days. This time I have waited until the blooms are just starting to decline, and the plant is actively growing a new leaf. Anyway, just wondering about the timing of when you applied the product on your plant??
Thanks,
Stephen