Why Leave Keikis Attached to the Mother PB?

[voyager]

I wanted to answer someone's question about whether or not to leave keikis attached to the PB they're growing from.
It got a bit carried away for just a post in a thread.
So, I brought it here.

My experience has taught me that leaving as much of the original mother PB as you can attached to a keiki is very beneficial to the speed of growth and development of the keiki.

First example:

I was given a large handful of broken off PBs and loose keikis by one of M'Lady's friends last spring.

I split and mounted them in 2 separate locations.




These are the keikis from those PBs after 1 year of growth.
All the larger ones have stayed attached to the PBs.
You'll note that some have buds on them.
I'll be able to see what their flowers will look like after the first year.The third pic, in the lower LH corner, shows a keiki that was detached from the PB.

I have several other locations where the same thing is going on with gift PBs and keikis.

Second example:

I asked a friend for a start from one of his orchids.
He ripped out a huge handful of PBs from underneath his large specimen sized plant a year ago last fall.
I tied them along this inclined Ohia trunk.
They stretch at least 6ft. along that tree.

All the keikis were attached to the PBs.
I will have a specimen sized plant by next year.

[WhiteRabbit]

Good visual evidence

[Ray]

Maybe I can't see the keikies, or maybe my coffee hasn't kicked in yet, but what I see is just normal colonization by new pseudobulbs connected by rhizomes.

In such colonies, each individual growth shares its resources, so the bigger the colony, the better it will do. That's the primary reason that most folks' standard recommendation for dividing plants is to keep it to a minimum of at least 2-3 old growths plus a new one.

[voyager]

Originally Posted by Ray

Maybe I can't see the keikies, or maybe my coffee hasn't kicked in yet, but what I see is just normal colonization by new pseudobulbs connected by rhizomes.

In such colonies, each individual growth shares its resources, so the bigger the colony, the better it will do. That's the primary reason that most folks' standard recommendation for dividing plants is to keep it to a minimum of at least 2-3 old growths plus a new one.

Hi Ray,
Got side tracked for a bit by a garage cabinet project.
Not sure exactly what you're describing, but when I tied the PBs in Example #2 to the tree very few had roots or subsequently developed roots.
Most of those that did were at or near the top of the grouping.
Almost all of the original PBs were tied flat against the trunk.
Now, sometimes my enthusiasm does overshadow a truly accurate description.
As I examine the pics more closely, I do see maybe 5 PBs that are probably part of the original batch that look as if they did root and propagate normally.
But, most of the new growths began from nodes along the length of the PBs, not from the basal area where new growths normally begin.
They now have begun at least their 2nd generation of new growths from the base of the keikis that began to develop after they were tied into place about 1-1/2 years ago.
All but a few of the original PBs have shriveled and dried up, being depleted by the growth of the keikis.
Keep in mind that that is my interpretation of what happened not a valid scientific explanation.
But, I don't think it is far off the mark.

I have a few others that were mounted in the same manner in a more accessible area that their first buds are about to open.
I'll get a photo as soon as the Den. "Yukidaruma King" buds open to show it better.

Example #1 is straight forward, no PBs had a base to form roots from.
All new growth was from keikis, either attached to, or separated from the PBs.
One of them had begun to form buds, but they now look to have aborted or been eaten by something.
I have an Iwagara[sp?] Apple Blossom right next to these Dens that keeps loosing its buds every year.
I think they're being eaten.
Slugs maybe?

[Ray]

I think that in the case of some plants, the distinction between new growth via rhizome and keiki is pretty gray. many plants only do the former, while others do some of both as part of their natural spreading and reproduction.

[voyager]

Originally Posted by Ray

I think that in the case of some plants, the distinction between new growth via rhizome and keiki is pretty gray. many plants only do the former, while others do some of both as part of their natural spreading and reproduction.

I agree, that may be, but the original question that I was answering was whether or not it was better to leave keikis attached to the PBs or remove them.

The premise of my post was to illustrate that it was better to leave the keikis attached to as much PB as possible.
I think that I have shown that it probably is.