Unexpected Keiki

[JaneEyre]

Originally Posted by Vanda lover

I have one in sphag in a bag that I'm hoping will root.
I have the top part out of the bag and a good part of the rest in damp sphag.

Let me know how it goes. Awhile back someone posted pictures of spike pieces just laying on top of the moist and nutrition rich media and it worked.

[JaneEyre]

Originally Posted by Susie11

Wow, how lovely. I have a spike that I am hoping will keiki as the phal has crown rot -very slow but rotting none the less. I might keep it on the plant or now I might even decide to cut it off and put it in a vase instead. It is in bud and has seven possible nodes from which to keiki so I shall have to wait and see what to do. Good luck with yours and thanks for the info. It seems that you learn something new about orchids everyday.

Sorry to hear your plant is dying. If I had to guess, the spike has better chance to make keiki while it is still attached to the mother plant as it will have some energy source for growth. Even though the mother is dying, it may make a basal keiki as well. I would try to get some keiki paste and apply it to the nodes on the spike. Good luck.

[Orquiadicto]

Is it possible this phal is producing a crown keiki? Has anyone had this before?

[JaneEyre]

Originally Posted by Orquiadicto

Is it possible this phal is producing a crown keiki? Has anyone had this before?
Attachment 72048

I have not seen this before. It sure looks like a keiki to me. Is it growing exactly from the center or more from the side of the plant? I can't really tell from the picture but to me it looks like it is growing from the side. In that case I would still call this a basal keiki. If the mother plant were to loose it's lower leaves (which it naturally can) then the keiki would be at the bottom. Sorry I'm not much help, maybe someone else will chime in.

[Orquiadicto]

It's really growing from the centre. A few more pictures from different angles. All the leaves are fine. None of them has signs of aging nor yellowing. Also the roots are fine. Orchids keep surprising us...

[JaneEyre]

It sure is growing from the center! I have not seen that. But I'm afraid it might be bad news. I've been thinking and it may mean that the mother plant is making a terminal keiki (like a terminal spike). I don't see how it can be removed without hurting the crown. I would probably leave it be and see what happens. I'd be interested to read what others think.

[Orquiadicto]

I sure enough will let it be. Looking forward to reading more opinions.

[violetta]

Originally Posted by Orquiadicto

Is it possible this phal is producing a crown keiki? Has anyone had this before?
Attachment 72048

It has happened to one of my Phals some years ago. The plant kept growing from the crown as usual, with the difference that new roots and spikes grew only from the keiki. The mother plant eventually lost all its leaves and the Phal has become rather leggy.

I have attached a photo of my Phal. The red arrow shows the initial position of the mother plant. The mother plant's roots are keeping this phal in the pot, while the keiki's roots are all in the air.

http://i48.tinypic.com/dfv9df.jpg

[Orquiadicto]

Perhaps it's because of me, but I don't see any photo.

[violetta]

Can't you see the internet links? I can see them, but then I'm the one who uploaded them.

This is how the Phal looked 3 years ago
http://i42.tinypic.com/5o5nit.jpg