Keiki on dying stem with no roots - Orchid Board

Yahsi · #1 02-10-2020, 11:46 PM

Hi!
My keiki is on a dying stem (dying what seems like super fast)! Heres the problem, my keiki doesnt have roots. WHAT DO I DO!? I am low key freaking out.
How do I save my keiki?
Thank you

Roberta · #2 02-11-2020, 02:08 AM

Welcome!

First, don't stress! How is the main plant doing? That should be your priority. The stem still has some green below the keiki, so just leave it and see what will do. But if whatever it is potted in looks sketchy, a repot of the main plant would be important.

camille1585 · #3 02-11-2020, 02:27 AM

Welcome to Orchidboard!

Quite often the tip of the stem will yellow down to the keiki and stop there. The keiki is drawing lots of water and nutrients through the stem, so it should stay alive. If it does continue to yellow past the keiki that might indicate that the mother plant just can't support it and you need to have a good look at what's happening in the pot.

Yahsi · #4 02-11-2020, 04:23 PM

Thank you guys for replying!
I looked at the mothers roots last night and some were dead but there was about 3 that seemed healthy (a squishy yellow color if that makes sense) one of the roots was a good 10 inches long!!
I went ahead and gave it some fresh moss. Because that Keiki is so big is ways down the pant and kind of lifts the mother out of the pot a little bit. Anyways, the roots seemed fine, The main plant is alive but no new leaves have formed for about 6ish months nor another stem (it had 2 last year). The leaves look weak but they are alive and green. Maybe should I try some of that orchid food spray? And maybe a little more water?

Roberta · #5 02-11-2020, 04:39 PM

Photos of the whole plant would help. Spraying orchid food on leaves is pretty useless...orchids have a waxy cuticle on their leaves which serves to reduce loss of water (important for an epiphytic plant) but also means that foliar feeding doesn't work... fertilize the medium. If leaves are floppy, it's an indication that the plant isn't getting enough water - if roots are good, increase frequ3ncy. If roots are bad it has no way to take up water and more water would just lead to rot.

The keiki in the photo appears far from the plant... if it is going a new plant ("basal keiki") that is good and should be left attached. You say you gave it fresh moss.. did you remove most of the old moss first? Otherwise not going to accomplish much. We need more photos to help you out on this.

SouthPark · #6 02-11-2020, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yahsi

some were dead but there was about 3 that seemed healthy (a squishy yellow color if that makes sense) one of the roots was a good 10 inches long!!

Squishy yellow --- if mushy yellow, then that could be an indicator of something unwanted. Showing good high resolution photos of the roots may help here.

Also, showing the media being used and wetness or dryness of roots and media (photos) could help here too, as well as the plant's leaves.

Yahsi · #7 02-11-2020, 07:16 PM

Alright guys thank you SO MUCH!!! Here are pictures of the momma leaves and the roots!!

let me know what you think now that you've seen the plant!

Roberta · #8 02-11-2020, 07:23 PM

OK. THose 2 long roots look quite good. The mother plant has lost the crown (growth point) so it grew that keiki to survive. The mother plant has roots and leaves, and so hopefully it can support the keiki until it gets big enough to survive on its own if it can grow roots. So continue to take care of the mother plant, and let it do what it is going to do. It is also possible that it may produce another main growth (basal keiki) but don't see a sign of that at this point. So patience...

Yahsi · #9 02-12-2020, 01:06 AM

Is there anything I can do for the crown? I was reading about hydrogen peroxide?
If the stem continues to get brown past the keiki what do you suggest? I'm going to be patient with the keiki and pray it grows roots and the mother plant grows a keiki or more leaves.
Thanks again for all your help

Roberta · #10 02-12-2020, 01:16 AM

Peroxide can occasionally help to stop a beginning crown rot infection, but on your plant, it looks like it has been gone for awhile and is brown and dry. Just hope that the browning of the spike stops at the keiki, so that it keeps going long enough to grow roots.
And maybe you'll get lucky and get a new growth at the base too. You'll just have to wait and see what it does... unpredictable.