Keiki on my cut spike.Please help

[amulchandra]

Hi all,

A couple of months ago I got a phal from Home Depot. The flowers wilted and fell with in a couple of days I brought it home. May be because of temperature fluctuations. I repotted the plant. I also cut the spikes off and placed them in tap water with little orchid fertilizer added to it right next my other phals. I am changing the water every week.Today I noticed that both the spikes have nubs growing what look like baby plants with small miniature leaves. But after 10 weeks in water the spike is turning dark- not rotting. It is still very firm to touch. Can someone here advise me what to do? Can I cut the small nubs along with a part of spike and place them on sphag and bag them?

TIA

Amul

[Phalcycle]

They are too small right now if they are just nubs, but if they are getting nutrients that way with fert and water through the spike, let them be.
If there is rot, then maybe cut, that the last resort thought.
They are being supported by the spike right now i guess
Wait until u see root, then cut

[amulchandra]

Thanks Jay. I will do that.

Amul

[busypotter]

Is this normal?
Does this only happen with a Phal?
Why not try one in a bag with spag?
I've never heard this before!!!
Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tangers40]

after TEN WEEKS sitting in water, i'm pretty sure the spikes are dying. if the keikis have viable roots, they can be removed and potted, but i doubt they will develop further given the situation they're in.

[orchids4me]

Wait, 10 weeks in water ??? What is your potting media? Are you doing s/h ?
Emmaye

[tangers40]

Originally Posted by orchids4me

Wait, 10 weeks in water ??? What is your potting media? Are you doing s/h ?
Emmaye

see below.

Originally Posted by amulchandra

I also cut the spikes off and placed them in tap water...But after 10 weeks in water

[orchids4me]

Ahhhh thank you Tangers40, I had misread it.
Emmaye

[amulchandra]

The keiki under water which was very close to the base of spike is trying to put a third leaf but no roots yet. The entire keiki is underwater. What should I do to make it produce roots? Can someone help me? The other two nubs are also making leaves.

[amulchandra]

Hi all,

One more quick update. All the nubs are having tiny roots now. Probably I will wait till they grow longer. All of them will be yellow color Phals with pink lip. I am so excited and hope to repot them into moss pretty soon.

Thanks
Amul

[Orchid B me]

Ten weeks? Thats a while, keep up with your water changes, (ph check your water). keike pro is great stuff, durring your next (healthy) phal bloom leave your flowerspike and if keiki pro is used then you will have new phals. Wait till keikis have a good root structure and cut and pot, take care with watering your potted keikis (dampen off) to prevent shock and rot. off topic,,, dens can also easly be keiki'd off by taking an older (bald) cane and soaking it in water for several weeks!! ( weekly water changes) and use of keiki pro helps. you can also use keiki pro on flower spikes from many difff species.

Im currently trying a semi deep water culture for advanced keike propagation.

[amulchandra]

Thank you Orchid B me. I will wait till the keikis grow some roots. What amazes me is the speed at which they are growing now. There are 3 of them all together. I will wait and see how many will survive. The keikis are plump and healthy.

Thank you

Amul

[mayres]

Can you post a digital pic of these - would be nice to see......

[amulchandra]

I tried to take some pictures and post it sometime back but my camera was not that good and all the pictures came out blurred. I will try to do it again when I find time.

Thank you
Amul

[Orchid B me]

Dont keep keikis under water, they will rot. lower the water level to just under the keiki. also look into the dyna grow line of ferts. K l n rooting concentrate is great as a spray on root application. it will def speed up root growth. when keikis thro roots, spray daily to dampen off, phals like water. look up a product called keiki pro, it is a great product for keiki development. buy bare root orchids cheap, treat with keiki pro, keep damp and bam, you now have a nice orchid that would have cost much much more. best of luck with your keikis! just wait, after you learn keiki propagation, youll move on to flasking! (its not as hard as it seems)

also with phals, if you leave the flower spike on after flowers drop, (in most cases) it will re bloom off that same spike durring its next flowering cycle..

[amulchandra]

Thank you orchid B me. Today I checked and found 2 out of the three have started growing roots. 3 roots on one and one root on the other. One keiki has been growing under water from day one. It is the most strongest of all but has no roots yet. Probably because it is under water. I will try to bring it above the water level and see.But I am scared to disturb their current positions. I wash them with tap water and place them in the same jar with water changed. For some reason I do not have any rotting issues yet. The spike is still firm and has not rotten yet. I am not using any rooting hormone as I do not have any. They are in plain water with Shultz orchid fertilizer.

Thank you
Amul