When to cut off a keki and how to pot it??

[greenpassion]

I have a NOID phal, and it's got a keki on it. The Keki is getting quite large, and has 3 really long (and growing longer) roots on it. The leaves are getting so large that soon the keki will rival the mother plant. I have no idea how to cut if off, and what to do with it from there. The mother is growing in Hydroton, as are all my orchids. She is well rooted and very healthy. Can I cut this baby off and put into hydroton? I would assume that since the mom went from potting media into hydroton and adjusted well and quickly, that the baby will too - except that the keki's roots have never been in anything!

[Bud]

this is what I did:
when the roots of the keiki reaches three to five inches long then twist the keiki and pull it off and pot it(if its hard to twist it off then cut half an inch on both sides of the keiki on the spike)....if there are no roots yet, then put moss around the keiki to induce it to make roots....
choose the smallest pot where it can fit and be potbound...use seedling mix or the small bark mix you can find....some pro put the keiki on moss ball

[greenpassion]

Thanks for such a quick reply-but can I put into S/H? The mother plant is in S/H (all my orchids are actually) and I was wondering if the keiki could be put into it as well?

[Bud]

but of course you may use the S/H method on the seedlings....but you need to sift through the sizes of the clay pellets....be sure to use the smallest ones for the keikis....and use heat mats(seedlings need more warmth than the established mother)

[karategirl73]

I used semi hydro for a keiki, plus the bottom heat, and it took off in there. It's been growing like crazy ever since.