Are these keiki's on my Phal's? - Orchid Board

Rosiefuture · #1 04-20-2010, 03:11 AM

The Phal above was a rescue from a reduced rack and I was so pleased when a spike started to grow. It was very slow and only grew to about 3-4 inches and then it produced 2 buds. The first bud bloomed into a gorgeous snow white Phal with a yellow throat but it only lasted about a week. The second bud died. Now it looks like I have a little plantlet on the end of the spike but no roots as yet. Is it a keiki?

This one I'm totally unsure about. Some of the leaves at the growing tip of this Phal got damaged and I cut them back. Then this growth appeared to the side of the centre. Is it a keiki or is it still part of the main plant?

Marion

Rosiefuture · #2 04-20-2010, 09:58 AM

I've had a closer look at the dark red one and it is on top of a stem, the same as the flower stems. So when the roots are about 3 inches long do I cut the keiki off with a sterilized blade?

Marion

johnblagg · #3 04-20-2010, 10:20 AM

The top one on the tip of the spike is for sure and when the roots are big enough snip it off and pot it up.....the second red colored one is a basal keki that has came out to take over for a damaged crown it seems and shoul be left on the main plant from everything I ever heard.

It may be possible to take a basal keiki off and it survive but I have never tried to ......I have taken big plants when they needed repoting and cut off the sections that are below the point with good roots before, and the plant just keeps on growing above that point so it may be that when the basal plant is more mature and has a long enough "stem" it could be removed and potted up but why ? two crowns twice as many spikes in the same pot .....more blooms in one pot half the watering ect.

SFC · #4 04-20-2010, 10:26 AM

Yep they look like keiki's to me, and you should probably wait until they both have at least 3 roots at least 2-3 inches long before you remove them from their parent plants.
congratulations, you have 2 baby orchids!

Rosiefuture · #5 04-20-2010, 10:35 AM

Thanks John and SFC. I will patiently wait for the green keiki to form roots. John I think I might take your advice on the dark red one and leave it on there, for now at least anyway. I'll wait and see how the plant developes.

This is all very exciting as I'm new with Phals and didn't know they produced keiki's, now I have two that I didn't know about previously.

Are all orchid people like me and get such pleasure from finding out new things about their orchids? I got really excited today when I was repotting another phal and I found out that I had one large plant and a completely seperate small plant in the same pot. It was like welcoming a new baby to the family! LOL

Marion