Root bigger than keiki?

[PaphLover]

It's so tiny, but I noticed this on my phalaenopsis lueddemanniana var. purpurea, and am wondering if it might be a keiki and root.

It's such a funny little growth I had to take a picture to get a better look at it.

[jkofferdahl]

I do believe it to be a keiki and a root. How wonderful!

[campchi]

Looks like a keiki and root, it's a good combo, many time keiki takes months to put out roots, you got one with root already so it should speed up the process.

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[PaphLover]

Can't say I've ever had a keiki before. I did sit my sister's orchids this summer and she had two keikis on one plant that had leaves and had even flowered, but no roots. I applied some kelp fertilizer to them and the roots grew like weeds and when she came back they were long enough to plant up in pots.

I don't actually know if the seaweed compound helped, or if they were just ready to start growing, but I might just try that with mine. What do you think?

[estación seca]

Yours is already growing roots... or do you mean you want to put kelp on other keikiis without roots?

[PaphLover]

Haha! Yeah, I didn't word that very well. No, my thinking went something like, "Lots of healthy roots=healthy plant, so should I apply kelp fert to stimulate more root growth and therefore grow a bigger, healthier keiki?"

But I'm not sure this is logical thinking as far as keikis go, since it probably gets its nutrients from the mother plant and not its own roots.

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by PaphLover

Haha! Yeah, I didn't word that very well. No, my thinking went something like, "Lots of healthy roots=healthy plant, so should I apply kelp fert to stimulate more root growth and therefore grow a bigger, healthier keiki?"

But I'm not sure this is logical thinking as far as keikis go, since it probably gets its nutrients from the mother plant and not its own roots.

Keikis get nutrients both from the mother plant and from their own roots! I think the healthy roots = healthy keiki adage applies.

[PaphLover]

Little one's coming along. It has three roots now (one is hiding), and it's growing a second leaf. Little cutie.



The bloom in the background is on the same inflorescence.

[jkofferdahl]

What wonderful growth!

I'm of the mind that leaves keikis attached as long as possible. But yours is rooting like a demon.

[estación seca]

And a flower.