Tiny mini phal with keiki - Orchid Board

KHaze · #1 06-13-2010, 10:30 PM

Hi everyone! I saw this mini phal at lowes on the clearance rack. It looked like there was another tiny orchid in the pot with it...I've seen that before but the tiny orchid looked like it might have two bases (sorry...I don't know the proper terminology). I thought that for $3.00 it would be worth satisfying my curiosity.

When I separated the the two orchids I found that the tiny one has a keiki...I think...I've never seen one in person but it looks like one to me.

Is this unusual? The keiki is about half the size of the plant it's growing out of...and that plant is about as long as my index finger...pretty small!

Now...I figured that these guys probably wouldn't be in the best shape and it looks like the base of both plants is turning black and dying. Should I cut it off? Do they have any chance of survival? Should I bother to try? The last two pics are of the bases of both the plants. What do you think?

KHaze · #2 06-13-2010, 10:31 PM

The base of the larger phal definitely looks worse than the tiny one.

Sandrilene · #3 06-13-2010, 10:59 PM

cut off any rotten roots treat it with fungicide. be careful not to over water it. other then that it should be fine. since the keiki is younger then the original plant it can take a while to catch up to the mother plant. do not separate them unless both have sufficient root growth (i would recommend not separating them at all).

Sandrilene · #4 06-13-2010, 11:00 PM

what you have is a basal keiki. once it gets established both will spike and you end up with more blooms.

KHaze · #5 06-14-2010, 08:01 AM

That's cool! It's got to make it first though...it's really small.

KHaze · #6 06-14-2010, 08:05 AM

Quote:

cut off any rotten roots treat it with fungicide. be careful not to over water it.

I did that last night...cut of rotten roots and dunked in physan before I potted them up. I hope they do alright!

trdyl · #7 06-14-2010, 11:04 AM

Looks like you got a great deal with this one.

Call_Me_Bob · #8 06-14-2010, 12:09 PM

you should be able to save it. im not sure, someone will have to correct me if im wrong, but i think if you supplement your water with superthrive when you water, it should help

KHaze · #9 06-14-2010, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Looks like you got a great deal with this one.

Thanks Ted

It's really neat! I just hope I don't kill it. It's so tiny it makes me feel like it's really fragile...it's probably tougher than I think.

KHaze · #10 06-14-2010, 09:13 PM

Quote:

you should be able to save it. im not sure, someone will have to correct me if im wrong, but i think if you supplement your water with superthrive when you water, it should help

I added KLN to the water...It's the same kind of thing as superthrive...I think...