Unexpected Keiki

[Wild Orchid]

Interesting and curious indeed!

A few months ago there was a thread that gathered lots of attention on intentionally growing keikies on the cut spikes.....
Well, mine all rotted after a few weeks in a vase. I'll be curious to see if someone has a tengible success and actually gets a new plant on their hands. That would be really neat!
Keep us posted!

WO

[JaneEyre]

Originally Posted by mothorchidgirl

JaneEyre how is your keiki doing?

Well, I'm sad to say my little experiment didn't make it. I put the whole thing in a terrarium and it just rotted

I'm going to try again with amabilis spike I have at the moment.

[SlipperGirl]

Originally Posted by JaneEyre

Well, I'm sad to say my little experiment didn't make it. I put the whole thing in a terrarium and it just rotted

I'm going to try again with amabilis spike I have at the moment.

I am sorry to hear that it did not make it

good luck with amabilis spike

[Orquiadicto]

After months of inactivity, the crown keiki is growing roots. It's not very clear in the pictures, but there are three roots growing, but none on the mother plant. The mother plant is loosing her lowest leaf.

[Wild Orchid]

Originally Posted by Orquiadicto

After months of inactivity, the crown keiki is growing roots. It's not very clear in the pictures, but there are three roots growing, but none on the mother plant. The mother plant is loosing her lowest leaf.

Thanks for the updates! Very interesting indeed!

I have a simliar thing happening - a keiki growing from the centre, and am not too sure if the keiki's roots could be misted directly to promote better growth or - if doing so would cause the stem it grows from to rot?

Some experienced growers have recently said that basal keikis should not be separated but then I'm not sure if the mother would survive as she is in a rather fragile stage (that bottom yellowing leaf is all that left of the mother.....)

Let's keep an eye on our wonder babies and see what happens!

[Orquiadicto]

Latest update on this crown keiki. I'm afraid I lost the mother. I potted the keiki in a 2" clay orchid pot with many holes. I hope it will thrive. Here are a few pictures of it before taking it off from the mother plant.

[JaneEyre]

Originally Posted by Orquiadicto

After months of inactivity, the crown keiki is growing roots. It's not very clear in the pictures, but there are three roots growing, but none on the mother plant. The mother plant is loosing her lowest leaf.

It looks like whatever you are doing is working. It is sad the mother plant is dying but with its death you have a rebirth. And that is special.

[Orquiadicto]

This is the keiki, potted in it's own pot.
I think it's big enough to survive on it's own, don't you think so?
As long as I give it the proper care, of course.

[lornaheath]

I have read every word of every message in this thread and I am fascinated with this subject and reading such a lot of stuff that I didn't know.

Thanks to everyone who contributed here. You have helped to answer a few questions that I didn't even know I had.

I am new here and can't upload any images yet so I didn't feel like asking the questions because I didn't know the terminology.

Thanks everyone.

Lorna
x x x

[rick84]

Originally Posted by Orquiadicto

It's really growing from the centre. A few more pictures from different angles. All the leaves are fine. None of them has signs of aging nor yellowing. Also the roots are fine. Orchids keep surprising us...
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chances are its a mutation that was caused by TC (tissue culture). Most cultivars are at some point going to be cloned. Some cultivators will add growth regulators to the growth media. Such as auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins and if done in excess or the wrong stage of plant development can sometimes cause mutations. Cultivators will give in excess to accelerate plant growth and phase development to put on market or make more stock for TC and eventually, market. Eventually these plant fail. Saddly in todays orchid market, the motives for money are at times overpowering to some cultivators over the quality.