Keiki on dying Phal

[Una]

Hello!

I took this Phal home a few months ago, and was told that it had a terminal spike growing from the crown: What is this?

The plant is not looking happy at all, and i suspect it doesn't have much time left... But to my surprise, it has two keikis growing!

Now to my questions:

1. How do i best care for the keikis, to make them grow roots etc as fast as possible (since mommy is dying...)?
2. Would it be safe to take it out of the pot (the coke-bottle ) to check for healthy roots, and perhaps repot, or would that disturb the keikis too much? I suspect it doesn't have many healthy roots left. What would be the best thing to do? (With the keiki in mind that is.)
3. Would it be good to cut off the spike with the small keiki, so that the plant could "focus" on growing the bigger keiki?
4. If the plant dies, what can i do to save the keiki if it haven't had the time to develop roots yet?

I have two pictures for you, one of the sad state of the plant, and one of my keikis.

Thanks in advance!

[dounoharm]

i would leave it alone and let nature handle it....the main plant could go for years looking like that, just treat it as normal....i have one that has been blooming off the last spike for 2 years, so far no keikis tho....the mother plant is looking a bit tired but still producing flowers! i keep hoping to find keikis, but as far as yours go, just water and fert as usual and let those keikis grow and make roots before trying to move em....gl

[digitalgate]

it is possible that the mother plant roots has already rotted. Have you check that? I suspect that you have no good roots as the mother plant look very dehydrated. You might want to let it sit on a plastic pot with drainage hole Or you have cut a few holes at the bottom of the coke bottle to let water drain out. It is possible that the mother is using lots of energy in ensuring the survival of the keiki. So pray for roots to come out or at least cut one of the spike away.
My gut feeling is the plant is probably hopeless. you might want to check if you have sufficient light on the plant (minimum 3 hours of shaded sunlight). Hopefully, the plant will recover. Good luck on the little one. Hope it recover.

[Una]

Would you recomend a repot then? Would you go for sphagnum or bark?
(The cokebottle was all i could come up with when i brought it home, since it had no pot at all at that time.)

[Una]

Ok, update!
I took it out of the pot, and as you suspected there are no roots left. At all...
Panic!
I don't have any bark left, so i'm gonna have to try with sphagnum.
Shall i put it in a plastic bag or just in a pot?

[-k-]

Put the plant in the smallest pot possible with sphagnum and hope for the best. Not much you can do now except try to give the plant the best possible culture. The kieki your plant is developing is a last ditch attempt by the plant to survive.

[Brooke]

It would be beyond a miracle for the mother plant to regrow roots to support the stem keikis. If it were mine, I would cut the spikes off and keep them in water.

If the stem starts to turn brown, remove the keikis and take care of them like you would a rootless phal. There is a sticky on the forum giving suggestions of saving a rootless phal.

Brooke

[Una]

Ok. I dont really care if the mother plant lives or dies anymore - I just want the keikis to make it, they are the first I've ever had.

How long would you guess that the spikes could make it in water? I have some orchidfertilizer...should i put some of that in the water perhaps?

Lots of questions, perhaps silly ones...

Thanks again =)

[Brooke]

Una I can't give you a length of time for them. A very small amount of fertilizer won't hurt and might be beneficial.

Good luck - Brooke

[digitalgate]

i would not soak the plant in water. Sphag and bag method will work. Just give it a try.

[11Orchid126]

With the sphag and bag method you could lightly soak the sphag with Superthrive and/or liquid seaweed, both of which encourage roots.

[Una]

Just an update...

The plant is still going strong - without roots and leaves!
That's right, it's just the "base" of the orchid left now, and the two spikes. The base is not looking pretty btw.

Still it refuses to die, but instead pops another keiki! So I now have 3 keikes growing on it.

No sign of roots on the two original keikis i'm afraid, i'm just hoping that the base will last long enough for it to grow some keiki-roots.

I will try to take pictures later.

[Norwichman]

Just wanted to say that the first Orchid I ever bought did very well and bloomed two years in a row, after the second bloom I left the two spikes up and after about a month sprouted Keiki's on each spike. as the babies grew I noticed the leaves starting to wrinkle a bit. Here is where it gets a little tricky, it took at least 6 to 8 months for these Keikis to finally sprout roots. Now that it has they are getting longer everyday, the plant is still alive I think they just get a little tired. Just wanted you to know that it may take quite some time for the roots to finally show so you can cut them off the dying plant.


Happy growing !!!

[Ladyofthelakes]

I have a Phal noid that I bought with 2 inflorescence and 28 buds and blooms. It was gorgeous and of course being a Phal bloomed for 8 weeks maybe more.

When the blooms were finished I waited to see what would happen as my other Phal Join Angel rebloomed several times.

One inflorescence nothing, the other one spike and a keiki. The are buds, about 7 and the keiki are doing well and new roots have formed.

I use Hausermann's Orchid fert, Superthrive and worm tea. The fert on a regular basis, very weak most waterings. Of course it is spring and I guess the time for Phals to have a growing spurt, but it makes me happy to have this success.